historical tales; the romance of reality' (japan and china) by charles morris, 1898
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Subject: Historical Tales of Japan and China Author: Charles MorrisDate: 1898File Origin: Internet Archive, BooksTRANSCRIPT
THE LIBRARYOF
THE UNIVERSITYOF CALIFORNIALOS ANGELES
IN MEMORY OF
MRS. VIRGINIA B. SPORER
Fred M. De
Historical Tales
The Romance of Reality
BY
CHARLES MORRIS
AUTHOR OF "half-hours WITH THE BEST AMERICAN
AUTHORS," "tales FROM THE DRAMATISTS," "KING
ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND-TABLE," ETC.
JAPA}^ AND CHINA
PHILADELPHIA
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANYI 900
Copyright. 1898,
BY
J. B. LippiNcoTT Company.
5/1
CONTENTS.PAGE
The First of the Mikados 5
How Civilization came to Japan 12
Yamato-Dake, a Hero of Romance 19
JiNGU, the Amazon of Jai'AN 27
The Decline of the Mikados 3o
How THE TaIHA and THE MiNAMOTO FOUGHT FOR I'oWER 41
The Bayard of Japan 51
The Hojo Tyranny 59
The Tartar Invasion of Japan 67
NoBUNAGA AND THE FaLL OF THE BuDDHISTS .... 7.'>
How A Peasant Boy became Premier 80
The Founder of Yedo and of Modern Feudalism . 8(5
The Progress of Christianity in Japan 97
The Decline and Fall of the Christian Faith . . 106
The Captivity of Cai»tain Golownin li:;
The Opening of Japan 123
The Mikado comes to his own again 133
How the Empire of China arose and grew .... 142
Confucius, the Chinese Sage I'lO
The Founder of the Chinese F^mpire 156
Kaotsou and the Dynasty of the Hans 172
The Lucrctia Borgia of China 180
The Invasion of the Tartar Steppivs 18(>
The "Crimson Eyebrows" 192
The Conquest of Central Asia 197
The Siege of Sinching 202
From the Shoemaker's Bench to the Throne . . . 205
Three Notable Women 212
The Keign of Taitsong the (ireat 217
A Female Richelieu 223
3
204'^139
I CONTENTS.
PAGE
The Taktars and Gi;N(iiiis Kman 228
How THK FrIAKS faked AMONG THE TARTARS .... 2'M')
TllK .*^IE(iK OF .SlANYA.VC; 242
The Death-Struggle of China 249
The Palace of Kublai Khan 255
The E.\rLL.sioN of the Mongols 2(>1
The Rise of the Manchus 272
The Manchu Conquest of China 281
The Career of a De-sert Chief . . 290
The Raid of the Goorkhas 299
How Europe entered China 306
The Burning of the Summer Palace 315
A Great Christian Movement and its F.\te .... 323
corea and its neighbors 330
The Battle of the Iron-clads 3.39
Progress in Japan and China 347
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
CHINA AND JAPAN.PAGE
Main Street, Yokohama (Frontispiece).
Shuzenji Village, Idzu 36
Letter-Writino in Japan 63
Kakamo Temple, Nikko 78
Chusenji Road and Daiya River 132
A Chinese Irrigation Wheel 165
A Chinese Pagoda 197
Shanghai, from the Water-Side 222
Market Scene in Shanghai 255
Chinese Gamblers 281
Chair and Cago Carriers 306
A Bronze-Worker's Shop 330
THE FIRST OF THE MIXAD OS.
The year 1 in Japan is the same date as 660 b.c.
of the Christian era, so that Japan is now in its
twenty-sixth century. Then everything began. Be-
fore that date all is mystery and mythology. After
that date there is something resembling history,
though in the early times it is an odd mixture of
historj^ and fable. As for the gods of ancient Japan,
they were many in number, and strange stories arc
told of their doings. Of the early men of the island
kingdom we know very little. When the ancestors
of the present Japanese arrived there they found
the islands occuj)ied by a race of savages, a people
thickly covered with hair, and diflferent in looks
from all the other inhabitants of Asia. These in
time were conquered, and only a few of them nowremain,—known as Ainos, and dwelling in the island
of Yezo.
In the Japanese year 1 appeared a conqueror,
Jimmu Tenno by name, the first of the mikados or
emperors. He was descended from the goddess of
the Sun, and made his home at the foot of Kiri-
shima, a famous mountain in the island of Kiushiu,
the most southerly of the four large islands of Japan.
As to the smaller islands of that anchored em-
pire, it may be well to say that they form a vast
multitude of all shapes and sizes, being in all nearly
G
6 HISTORICAL TALES.
four tliousand in nutnher. The Sea of Japan is
truly a sea of islands.
By way of the sailing clouds, and the blue sky
which rests upon Kirishima's snowy top, the gods
stepped down from heaven to earth. Down this ce-
lestial path came Jimmu's ancestors, of whom there
were four between him and the mighty Sun goddess.
Of course no one is asked to accept this for fact.
Somewhat too many of the fathers of nations were
sons of the gods. It may be that Jimmu was an in-
vader from some foreign land, or came from a band of
colonists who had settled at the mountain's foot some
time before, but the gods have the credit of his origin.
At any rate, Iliuga, as the region in which he
dwelt was called, was not likely to serve the ends
of a party of warlike invaders, there being no part
of Japan less fertile. So, as the story goes, Jimmu,
being then fifty j-ears old, set out to conquer some
richer realm. He had only a few followers, some
being his brothers, the others his retainers, all of
them, in the language of the legends, being kami,
or gods. Jimmu was righteous ; the savages were
wicked, though they too had descended from the gods.
These savages dwelt in villages, each governed b}-
a head-man or chief. They fought hard for their
homes, and were not easily driven away.
The story of Jimmu's exploits is given in the
Kojiki, or " Book of Ancient Traditions," the oldest
book of Japan. There is another, called the Nihongi,
nearly as old, being composed in 720 a.d. These
give us all that is known of the ancient history of
the island, but are so full of myths and fables that
THE FIRST OF THE MIKADOS. 7
very little of the story is to be trusted. Histories
of later times are abundant, and form the most im-
portant part of the voluminous literature of Japan.
The islanders are proud of their history, and have
preserved it with the greatest care, the annals of
cities and families being as carefully preserved as
those of the state.
Jimmu the conqueror, as his story is told in the
Kojiki, met strange and frightful enemies on his
march. Among them were troops of spiders of
colossal size and frightful aspect, through whose
threatening ranks he had to fight his way. Eight-
headed serpents had also to be dealt with, and hos-
tile deities—Avicked gods who loved not the pious
adventurer—disputed his path. Some of these he
rid himself of by sti'ength of arm and shai'pness of
sword, some by shrewdness of wit. His line of
march lay to Usa, in the district of Buzen ; thence
to Okada, where he took ship and made his waythrough the windings of the Suwo Nada, a part of
the Inland Sea of Japan.
Landing in Aki, Jimmu built himself a palace,
and dwelt there for seven years, after which he sought
the region of Bizen, where for eight years more he
lived in peace. Then, stirred once more by his in-
dwelling love of adventure, he took to the sea again
with his faithful band and sailed to the eastward.
Rough waves and swift currents here disputed his
way, and it was with difficulty that he at length
landed on Hondo, the main island of Japan, near
where the city of Osaka now stands. He namedthe spot iV(Jwu' Haya (•' swift waves").
8 HISTORICAL TALES.
.liiiiiiiu Toiiiio, the name of the conqueror, means" spirit of war," and ho far victory had perched upon
his banners as he marched. But now defeat came.
The people of the great island fought fiercely for
their homes and liberties, a brother of Jimmu was
wounded, and he and his band of followers were
driven back wiih loss.
The gods surely had something to do with this,
—
for in those days the gods were thought to have little
to do besides busying themselves with the affairs of
men,—and the cause of the defeat was sought by
means of sacred ceremonies and invocations. It
proved to be an odd one. The legend states they
had offended the Sun goddess by presuming to travel
to the east, instead of following the path of the sun
from east to west. This insult to the gods could
be atoned for only by a voyage to the west. Taking
to their ships again, they sailed westward around
Kii, and landed at Arasaka.
Jimmu had expiated his fault, and was again in
favor with the gods. The chief whom he now faced
surrendered without a blow, and presented the con-
quering hero with a sword. A picture of this scene,
famous in the early history- of Japan, is printed on
one of the Japanese greenback notes issued in 1872.
The victor next sought the mountain-defended
land of Yamato, which was to be reached only bydifficult mountain-passes, unknown to the chief andhis followers. But the gods had taken him in chargeand came to his aid, sending a giant crow, whosewings were eight feet long, to guide him to the
frrtile soil of Yanuito. A crow with smaller spread
THE FIRST OP THE MIKADOS. 9
of wing might have done the work as well, but would
have been less satisfactory to the legend-makers.
Fierce was the conflict now impending, and stern
the struggle of the natives for life and liberty.
Here were no peaceful chiefs, like the one met at
Arasaka, and only by dint of trenchant blows was
the land to be won. On went the fight, victory nowinclining to one side, now to the other, until in the
midst of the uncertain struggle the gods sent down a
deep and dark cloud, in whose thick shadow no mancould see his foe, and the strife was stayed. Sud-
denly, through the dense darkness, a bird in the
shape of a hawk came swooping down from the
skies, enveloped in a flood of golden light, and, dis-
persing the cloud, rested upon the hero's bow. Thelight shed by his refulgent wings struck like the
glare of lightning upon the eyes of the enemy, so
dazzling them with its radiance that they broke into
panic flight.
A victory gained in such a fashion as this does not
seem quite satisfactory to modern ideas. It is not fair
to the other side. Yet it was in this way that the
Greeks won victory on the plains of Troy, and that
many other legendary victories were obtained. Onecannot help wishing that the event of battle had
been left to the decision of brave hearts and strong
hands, instead of depending upon the interposition
of the gods. But such was the ancient way,—if wechoose to take legend for truth,—and we must needs
receive what is given us, in default of better.
At any rate, Jimniu was now lord of the land, and
built himself a capital cit}' at Kashiwabara, near the
10 HISTORICAL TALES,
Hitc of the modern Kioto, from which he governed
the wide retihiis that the sword had made his own.
The <^ods were thanked for iheir aid by imposing
religious ceremonies, and the people rejoiced in the
peace that had come upon the land. The soldiers
-
who had followed the hero to victory were ampl}'
rewarded, and his chiefs made lords of provinces,
for the control over which they were to pay in mili-
tary service. Thus early a form of feudal govern-
ment was established in Japan.
All being now at peace within the realm, the
weapons of war were hung up in home and temple,
sacrifices were offered to the goddess of the Sun, and
the three sacred emblems of the new kingdom, the
mirror, the sword, and the ball, were deposited with
solemn ceremonies in the palace of the emperor.
The remainder of Jimmu's story may be briefl}'
told. He took for bride the princess Tatara, the
daughter of one of his chiefs, and the most beautiful
woman in all the land. The rest of his life wasspent in strengthening his rule and extending the
arts of civilization throughout his realm. Finally
he died, one hundred and thirty-seven years old, as
the Kojiki states, leaving three children, one of
whom he had chosen as the heir of the throne.
That there was an actual Jimmu Tenno is morethan any one can say. Of course the crow and kite,
serpents and spiders, are myths, transformed, per-
haps, from some real incidents in his career, and the
gods that helped and hindered were doubtless born
in men's fancies in later days.
The Chinese have their story of how Japan was
THE FIRST OF THE MIKADOS. 11
settled. Taiko, grandfathci* of the first emperor of
the Shu djMiasty, hud three sons, and, loving the
youngest most, wished to leave him his title and
estate. These by law and custom belonged to the
eldest, and the generous young prince, not wishing
to injure his l>rother, secretly left home and sailed io
the south. Leaving Southern China with a colony,
he landed in Japan. This took place about forty-six
years before the beginning of Jirnmu's conquering
career, so that the dates, at least, agree.
Whether there ever was a Jinimu or not, the
Japanese firmly believe in him. He stands on the
list as the first of the mikados, and the reigning
emperor claims unbroken descent from him. April
7 is looked upon as the anniversary of his ac-
cession to the throne, and is the Japanese national
holiday, which is observed with public rejoicings and
military and naval salutes. The year 1 was the
year in which Jimmu ascended the throne.
HOW CIVILIZATION CAME TOJAPAN.
There is not much of absorbing interest in early
Japanese history. For a period of some twelve hun-
dred years nearly all that we know of the mikados
is that they " lived long and died happy." No fewer
than tw'elve of these patriarchs lived to bo over one
hundred years old, and one held the throne for one
hundred and one years. But they were far surpassed
in longevity by a statesman named Takenouehi, whoserved five mikados as prime minister and dwelt
upon the earth for more than three hundred and
fifty years. There was not much " rotation in oftice"
in those venerable times.
We must come down for six hundred years from
the days of Jimmu to find an emperor who made
any history worth the telling. In truth, a mist of
fable lies over all the works of these ancient wor-
thies, and in telling their stories we can never be
sure how much of them is true. Ver}- likely there
is sound historj' at the bottom, but it is ornamented
with a good deal that it is not safe to believe.
The first personage after Jimmu upon whom weneed dwell was a wise and worth}- mikado namedSujin, who spent his days in civilizing his people,
probably no easj- task. The gap of six centuries
12
now CIVILIZATION CAME TO JAPAN. 13
between Jiinmu's time and his had, no doubt, its
interesting events, but none of particular importance
are upon record.
As a boy Sujin displayed courage and energy,
together with the deepest piety. As a man he
mourned over the sinfulness of his people, and earn-
estly begged them to give up their wicked ways and
turn from sin to the worship of the gods. He was not
at first very successful. The people were steeped in
iniquity, and continued so until a pestilence was sent
to change the current of their sinful thoughts.
The pious monarch called upon the gods to stay
the plague, doing penance by rising early, fasting,
and bathing,—possibly an unusual ceremony in those
days. The gods at length heard the voice of the
king, and the pestilence ceased. It had done its
work. The people were convinced of the error of
their ways and turned from wantonness to worship,
and everywhere religious feeling revived.
As yet Japan possessed no temples or shrines, all
worship being conducted in the open air. The three
holy emblems of the nation, the mirror, the sword,
and the ball, had thus far been kejit within the pal-
ace. Wherever the}' were the divine power dwelt,
and the mikado, living within their influence, waslooked upon as equal to a god.
But the deities taui^ht Sujin—or at least he
thought they did—that this was not the proper place
for them. A rebellion broke out, due, doubtless, to
the evil spirit of men, but arising, in his opinion,
from the displeasure of the gods, who were not
pleased with his keeping these sacred objects under
14 HISTORICAL TALES.
his own roof, wlicre they might be defiled hy the
unh(}iiiio.s8 of man. He determined, therefore, to
provide for them ii home of their own, and to do so
huiit the first temple in his realm. The sacred sym-
bols were placed under the care of his daughter, whowas appointed priestess of the shrine. From that
day to this a virgin princess of imperial blood has
been chosen as custodian of • these emblems of deific
power and presence.
The first temple was built at Kasanui, a village in
Yamato. But the goddess Amaterasu warned the
priestess that this locality was not sufficiently holy,
so she set off with the mirror in search of a place
more to the taste of the gods, carrying it from
province to province, until old age overtook her, yet
finding no spot that reflected the clear light of holi-
ness from the surface of the sacred mirror. Another
jiriestess took up the task, many places were chosen
and abandoned, and finally, in 4 a.d., the shrine of
Uji, in Ise, was selected. This apparentlj- has proved
satisfactor}- to the deities of Japan, for the emblemsof their divinit}- still rest in this sacred shrine. Sujin
had copies made of the mirror and the sword, which
were kept in the 'place of I'everence," a separate
building within the palace. From this arose the
imperial chapel, which still exists within the palace
bounds.
AVe speak of the "palace" of the mikado, but wcnuist warn our i-eaders not to associate ideas of
splendor or magnificence with this word. The Em-peror of Japan dwells not in grandeur, but in sim-
plicity. From the earliest times the house of the
now nvILIZATION CAME TO JAPAN. 15
emperor has resembled a temple rather than a pal-
ace. The mikado is himself half a god in Japanese
eyes, and is expected to be content with the simple
and austere surroundings of the images of the gods.
There are no stateliness, no undue ornament, no
gaudy display such as minor mortals may delight in.
Dignified simplicity surrounds the imperial person,
and when he dies he is interred in the simplest of
tombs, wonderfully unlike the gorgeous burial-places
in which the bodies of the monarchs of continental
Asia lie in state.
When Sujin came to the throne the people of
Japan were still in a state of barbarism, and there
was scarce a custom in the state that did not call for
reform, A new and better system of arranging the
periods of time was established, the j'ear being
divided into twentj'-four months or periods, which
bear such significant names as " Beginning of Spring,"
" Rain-watei*," "Awakening of the Insects," "Clear
Weather," " Seed-rain," etc. A census was ordered
to be taken at regular intervals, and by way of taxa-
tion all persons, men and women alike, were obliged
to work for the government for a certain number
of days each year.
To promote commerce, the building of boats wasencouraged, and legular communication was opened
with Corea, from which country many useful ideas
and methods were introduced into Japan. Even a
prince of one of the provinces of Corea came to the
island empire to live. Agriculture was greatly ile-
veloped by Sujin, canals being dug and irrigation ex-
tensively provided for. Rice, the leading article of
IH riisTouifAi- tai-f;s.
Ilxxl, necdH to be grown in well-watered fields, and
the Htciiling of water from a neighbor's field is looked
upon as a crime of deepest dye. In old times the
water-thief was dealt with much as the horse-thief
was recently dealt with in some parts of our owncountry.
Sujin's work was continued by his successor, who,
in 6 A.D., ordered canals and sluices to be dug in
more than eight hundred places. At present Japan
has great irrigating reservoirs and canals, through
which the water is led for miles to the farmers' fields.
In one mountain region is a deep lake of pure water,
five thousand feet above the sea. Many centuries
ago a tunnel was made to draw off this water, and
millions of acres of soil are still enriched by its fer-
tilizing flood. Such are some of the results of Sujin's
wise reforms.
Another of the labors of Sujin the civilizer was to
devise a military system for the defence of his realm.
In the north, the savage Ainos still fought for the
land which had once been all their own, and between
them and the subjects of the mikado border warfare
rarely ceased. Sujin divided the empire into four
military departments, with a shogun. or general, over
each. At a later date military magazines were es-
tablished, where weapons and rations could be had
at any time in case of invasion by the wild tribes
on the border or of rebellion within the realm. In
time a powerful military class arose, and war becamea profession in Japan. Throughout the history of the
island kingdom the war spirit has been kept alive,
and Japan is to-day the one nation of Eastern Asia
HOW CIVILIZATION CAME TO JAPAN. 17
with a love of and a genius for warlike deeds. So
important grow the shoguns in time that nearly all
the power of the empire fell into their hand.^, and
when the country was opened to foreign nations,
one of these, calling himself the Tai Kuu (Tj'coon),
posed as the emperor himself, the mikado being lost
to sight behind the authority of this military chief.
At length old age began to weigh heavily upon
Sujin, and the question of who should succeed him
on the throne greatl}' troubled his imperial mind.
He had two sons, but his love for them was so equally
divided that he could not choose between their
claims. In those days the heirship to the throne
seems to have depended upon the father's will. Notbeing able to decide for himself, he appealed to fate
or divination, asking his sons one evening to tell him
the next morning what they had dreamed during the
night. On their dreams he would base his decision.
The young princes washed their bodies and
changed their clothes,—seemingly a religious rite.
Visions came to them during the still watches of the
night, and the next morning they eagerl}' told their
father what dreams the gods had sent.
'•I dreamed that I climbed a mountain," said the
elder, "and on reaching its sunimit I faced the east,
and eight times I cut with the sword and thrust
with the spear."
" I climbed the same mountain," said the younger," and stretched snares of cords on every side, seek-
ing to catch the sparrows that destroy the grain."
The emperor listened intently, and thus sagely in-
terpreted the visions of his sons.
2
18 HISTORICAL TALES.
" You, my son," he .^uid to tho older, " looked in
one direction. You will go to the cast and become
its governor. You looked in evoiy d-ircction," he
said to the younger. " You will govern on all .sides.
The gods have selected you as my heir."
His words came true. The younger became ruler
over all the land ; the elder became a warrior in the
east and governor over its people.
And Sujin the civilizer, having lived long andruled wisely, was gathered to his fathers, and slept
death's dreamless sleep.
YAMATO-DAKE, A HERO OFROMANCE.
We have now to deal with the principal hero of
Japanese legend, Yamato-Dake, the conqueror. His
story is full of myth and fable, but there is history
in it, too, and it is well worth the telling. Every
ancient nation has its legendary hero, who performs
wonderful feats, dares fearful perils, and has not
only the strength of man but the power of magic
and the wiles of evil spirits to contend against. Wegive the story as it stands, with all its adventures
and supernatural incidents.
This Japanese hero of romance, born 71 a.d., wasthe son of Keiko, (he twelfth in line of the mikados.
In form he was manly and graceful, fair of aspect,
and of handsome and engaging presence. While
still a youth he led an army to Kiushiu, in which
island a rebellion had broken out. In order to enter
the camp of the rebel force, he disguised himself as
a dancing-girl, a character which his beardless face
and well-rounded figure enal)lL'il him easily to assume.
Presenting himself before the sentinel, his beauty of
face and form disarmed the soldier of all doubt, and
he led the seeming damsel to the presence of the
rebel chief, from whom he hoped for a rich reward.
Here the visitor danced before the chief and his
19
20 HISTORICAL TALES.
quests with such winning grace that they were all
captivated, and at the end of the dance the delighted
chief seized his prize by the hand and drew the
seemingly coy damsel into his own tent. Once within
its folds, the 3-ielding girl suddenly changed into a
heroic youth who clasped the rebel with a vigorous
embrace and slew him on the spot. For this ex-
ploit the youthful prince leceived his title of Yaniato-
Dake, or "Yamato the Warlike."
Thirteen years later a revolt broke out among the
wild tribes of Eastern Japan, and the young hero
marched with an army to subdue them. His route
led him past the shrine of the Sun goddess, in Ise,
and here the priestess presented him with the sacred
sword, one of the holy emblems of the realm. His
own sword was left under a neighboring pine.
Armed with this magical blade, he continued his
nu\rch into the wiWs of Suruga, the haunt of the in-
surgent Ainos. But he found it no easy matter to
bring these savage foes to an open fight. Fleeing
before his army into the woods and mountains, they
fought him from behind rocks and trees, it being
their policy of warfare to inflict damage upon the
enemy with as little loss as possible to themselves.
Like the American Indians, these savages were used
to all the forest wiles, quick to avail themselves of
every sound or sign, able to make their way with
ease through tangled thickets and pathless forests,
and adepts in all the lore of M'ood and wild.
As the army of Yamato pressed them too closely,
iliey set fire to the dry underbrush which densely
surrounded their lurking-place. The high wind car-
YAMATO-DAKfi, A HERO OF ROMANCE. 21
ried the flumes in roaring waves towards the Jap-
anese arm}', which was in the most serious danger,
for it was encamped amid tall, dry grass, which
quickly became a sea of soaring flame. With yells
of delight the Ainos gazed upon the imminent peril
of their foes; but suddenly their exultation was
changed to dismay. For at this moment of danger
the Sun goddess appeared to Yamato. and at her sug-
gestion he drew the sacred sword—Murakumo, or
" Cloud Cluster"—and cut the grass that thickly
rose around him. Before the magic of the blade
fire itself was powerless, and the advancing flames
turned and swept towards the enemy, many of whomwere consumed, while the others fled in panic fear.
Grateful to the gods for this timely aid, the hero
changed the name of the sword, decreeing that
thenceforth it should be known as Kusanagi, or
"Grass-Mower."
His route now led, by a mountain pathway, into
the great plain of Eastern Ja]')an, afterwards knownas the Kuanto, which extends from the central
ranges to the Pacific coast. Beaching the shores of
the Bay of Yedo, he looked across from its southern
headland to the opposite peninsula of Avva, whose
hills seemed very close at hand.
"It will be easy to cross that channel," he said:
" it is but a trifle. Let the army embark."
lie did not know how treacherous was the navi-
gation of this sirait, whose weather is never to be
trusted, and whose winds, tides, and currents are
baffling and perilous. P^mbarking with his follow-
ers, he looked for an easy and rapid progress; but
22 HISTORICAL TALES.
a terrible storm arose, tossing the boats so frightfully
that death seemed their sure fate.
Yamato was not at a loss to know what was
amiss. He w^as familiar with the ways of the gods,
and knew that some hostile deity was at work to
ruin him. His contemptuous remark about the ease
of the passage had given deep offence to the Japan-
ese Neptune, the god of the Sea, who was punish-
ing him for his lack of reverence. There was only
one way by which the angry deity might be ap-
peased,—the sacrifice of a victim to his wrath. But
who among them was ready to yield life for duty?
Tlie question was answei-ed by Tachibana, the j-outh-
ful wufe of the chief, who was in the boat with her
lord. With a hurried farewell, the devoted womansprang into the wild waves, which in a momentswept her far away. It was an acceptable sacrifice.
The winds fell, the waves \vent down, the clouds
broke, and soon the sun Avas serenely shining on
ruffled sea and tranquil shore.
All that Yamato saw again pertaining to his
wife was her perfumed wooden comb, which floated
ashore and was dedicated by him as a precious relic
in a shi-ine w'hich he built to the gods. A shrine
still stands on the spot, which is within the moderncit}' of Tokio, and there to-day fishermen and
sailors worship the spirits of Yamato and his sainted
wife.
Thence the hero sailed along the shore, subduing
the tribes as he went, until the northern boundary
of the empire was reached. Here the leaders of the
Ainos had gathered a great army to repel the in-
YAMATO-DAK^, A HERO OF ROMANCE. 23
vader. But on seeing the ships, which were newobjects to their eyes, awe and consternation over-
whelmed them.
"They are Hving things," they said,—"strange
moving monsters who glide over the sea and bring
our foes to our undoing. The gods must have sent
them, and will destroy us if we draw bow against
these works of their hands."
Throwing down their arms, they surrendered to
Yamato when he sprang ashore, and agreed to pay
tribute to the state. Taking their leaders as host-
ages for their good conduct, the hero turned home-
ward, eager to reach again the capital from which
he had been so long away. His route was nowoverland, and to entertain himself on the long
journey he invented a form of poetic verse which
is still much in use by the poets of Japan.
As yet all his work had been done on the plain
near the shores of the sea. Now, marching inland,
be ascended to the great table-land of Shinano,
from twenty-five hundred to five thousand feet above
the sea, around and within which lie the loftiest
mountains of Japan. From this height could bo
obtained a magnificent view of the Bay of Yedo, the
leafy plains surrounding, and the wide-extending
ocean. Japan has no more beautiful scene, and
Yamato stood silently gazing over its broad ex-
panse, the memory of his beloved wife, who had
given her life for his, coming back to him as he
gazed. " Adzuma, adzuma" (" my wife, my wife"),
fell in sad accents from his lips. These words still
haunt that land. In the poet's verse that broad plain
21 HISTORICAL TALES.
is to-diiy called Adzuina, and one of the great ships
of the new navy of Japan is named Adzuma kuan.
It was no light task which now lay before the
army and its chief Even to-day the mountains of
Shinaiioare far from easy to cross. Then they were
unknown, and their crossing was a work of the
greatest ditKculty and risk. There were rocky defiles
and steep ascents to climb, river torrents to pass,
rugged paths to mount, without a road to follow or
a guide to conduct, and with clouds and fogs to
double the dangers of the way. Here, to their fancy,
in caves and ravines hostile spirits lurked; every
mountain had its tutelary god ; at every step the
deities of good and evil seemed to be at strife for
their destinj'', and with all the perils of the way the
gods were thought to have something to do.
Thus on one day the god of the mountain came to
Yamato in the form of a white deer, with purpose to
work him evil. The heio, on the alert against the
hostile spirits, threw wild garlic in the animal's eyes,
causing so violent a smarting pain that it died. Atonce a dense mist descended upon the hill-slopes andthe path vanished, leaving the army to grope onwardin danger and dismay. But at this moment of dread
a white dog appeared—a god again, but a friendly
one this time—who led the bewildered soldiers in
safetj' to the plains of Mino.
But thcN' were not yet free from the wiles of the
white deer. Its spirit now appeared, discharging
among them poisonous gases, before whose stupefying
influence they fell helpless to the ground. The wild
garlic again was their salvation. Some one ate of it
YA.MATO-DAKfi, A HERO OF ROMANCE. 25
with happy effect, and gave it to all the men ami
animals, so that all got well again. Wild garlic is
still looked upon in Japan as a specific against dis-
ease and as a safeguard against witches. For this
purpose it is hung up bwfore gates and doorways in
times of epidemic or superstitious fear.
The hero next came to Ibuki yama, a cone-shaped
mountain whose flattened summit seemed to pierce
the skies. Here too dwelt a hostile spirit,- who dis-
puted the way, and against whom Yamato advanced
unarmed, leaving his sword, " Grass-Mower," under
a tree at the mountain's foot. The gods of Japan,
perhaps, were proof against weapons of steel. Not
far had the hero gone before the deity appeared
upon his path, transformed into a threatening ser-
pent. Leaping over it, he pursued his way. But
now the incensed deity flung darkness on the moun-
tain's breast, and the hero, losing his path, swooned
and fell. Fortunately, a spring of healing water
bubbled beside him, a drink from which enabled him
to lift his head. Onward he went, still feeble, for
the breath of the serpent god was potent for ill,
and at length reached Otsu, in the district of Ise,
where, under the pine-tree, he found the sword
which he had left there on setting out, three years
before. His gladness found vent in a poem com-
posed of these words: "O pine, if you were a man,
I should give you this sword to wear for j'our
fidelity."
The conquering prince was now near the end of
his career. Still sick unto death from his adven-
ture upon the mountain, he told before the shrine
26 HISTORICAL TALES.
of the gods the tale of his victories and perils, offered
to them his weapons and prisoners, and thanked
them piously for their care. Then he sent a report
of his doings to his father, the mikado, and begged
to see him. Keiko, the father, sent a messenger with
words of comfort, but when he arrived the heroic
Yamato-Dake was dead.
He was buried near where he died, and from his
tomb a white bird was seen to fly. On opening the
tomb nothing was found but the dead hero's chaplet
and robes. The place where the bird was seen to
alight bears still a name signifj'ing Imperial Tombof the White Bird. Thus ended the career of the
leading Japanese hero of romance. His story sounds
like a fairy-tale, though it may well be that Yamato-
Dake was a real person and that many of the things
told of him actually occun*ed.
JINGU, THE AMAZON OFJAPAN.
To-day the women of Japan are kept in seclusion
and take no part in aflFairs of state. This docs not
seem to have been always the case. In the far past,
we are told, women often rose to posts of honor and
dignity, and some even filled the mikado's throne.
Nor is this all. To a woman is given the glory of
the greatest event in the history of ancient Japan,
the conquest of Corea, from which land civilization,
liteiature, and a new religion subsequently came to
the island realm.
The name of this Japanese heroine was Okinaga
Tarashi hime, but she is best known under the title of
Jingu, or ''warlike deed." The character given her
in tradition is an attractive one, combining beauty,
piety, intelligence, energy, and valor. The waves
of the sea, the perils of the battle-field, and the toils
or terrors of war alike failed to fill the soul of this
heroine with foar, and the gods marched with her
and aided her in her enterprises. Great as she wasin herself, the Japanese give her higher honor still,
as the mother of their god of war.
This imperial Amazon was the wife of the mikado
Chinai, who in 193 a.d. set out at the head of his
army for Kiushiu, a rebellion having broken out at
Kumaso, in that island. Ilis courageous wife took
28 HISTORICAL TALES.
Hliip and followed him to the seat of war. On he>
voyivi^e thither she stopped at one of the islands of
the Inland Sea to offer worship to the gods. Andas she did so the voice of the deity of the shrine
came to her ears.
" Why do you trouble j'ourself to conquer Ku-
maso ?" spoke the mysterious voice. " It is but a
poor and barren spot, not worth your labor nor the
work of your army. There is a countr}-, larger and
richer by far, a land as lovely as the face of a fair
virgin, dazzlingly bright with gold, silver, and rare
colors, and rich with treasures of every kind. Such
a noble region is Shiraki [Corea]. Continue to wor-
ship me, and this rich land shall be yours without
the shedding of blood. As for Kumaso, my help
and the g\ovy of your conquest will cause it to
yield."
On joining the emperor,' Jingu repeated to himthe words of the god, but she found in him a doubt-
ing listener. There was a high mountain near the
camp, and to the summit of this he climbed and
looked far out over the westward sea. No land wasvisible to his eyes where she had declared the rich
realm of Shiraki lay, and he was confirmed in his
doubts. On returning to her he said,
—
" I looked everywhere, and saw water alone ; noland was to be seen. Is there a country in the sky ?
If not, j-our words are false. And my ancestors
worshipped all the gods ; or if there are any they did
not worship, I know them not. Why, then, should
they not speak to me ?"
" If you credit only your doubts," answered the
JINGU, THE AMAZON OF JAPAN. 29
god through the lips of the empress, "and dechwe
that there is no country where I have said a country
exists, 3'ou blaspheme, and shall never sec this land,
but the empress, your wife, shall have the glory of
its conquest."
Even this was not enough to overcome the doubts
of the emperor. He was not ready to believe that
a god could speak through a woman, and refused to
risk his army on an unknown sea. On the contrary,
he led it against Ivumaso, from which the rebels
drove him back in defeat. Soon after he died sud-
denly in camp, or, as some declare, was slain in battle
by an arrow. Takenouchi, his minister, kept his
death a secret from the soldiers, while the valiant
Jingu continued the war and soon brought the rebel-
lion to an end.
The death of the mikado had left the power of
the state and the command of the army in the hands
of his wife, who had shown her valor and ability in
the conquest of Kumaso. Her mind was now filled
with the promise of the god and the hope of newglory to be won beyond the sea. But first she
deemed it wise to obtain further signs from the
celestial powers.
Going to the shore of the sea, she baited a hook
with a grain of rice and threw it into the water,
saying, " If a fish be caught with this grain of rice,
then the conquest of a rich country shall indeed be
mine."
When she drew up the line, to her delight she saw
a fish on the hook. •' Medzurashiki mono .'" (" won-
derful thing!"), she exclaimed, viewing the marvel
30 HISTORICAL TALES.
:is a pure signal that the gods approved her design.
ller words have been corrupted into Matsura, which
is the name of the place to this day, and here, every
year, at the opening of the fourth Japanese month,
the women of the vicinity go fishing, no men being
permitted to cast in their lines on that day.
The pious empress, as if some of the doubts of
the mikado had clung to her mind, sought still an-
other sign from the gods. She now let her long
hair fall into the water, saying that if the gods
favored her design her tresses would come out of the
water dry and parted in two divisions. Again the
celestial powers heard. Her abundant black locks
left the water dry and neatly parted as by a comb.
Doubt no longer troubled her soul. She at once
ordered the generals of the army to recruit newforces, build ships, and prepare for an ocean enter-
prise.
" On this voyage depends the glory or the ruin of
our country," she said to them. " I intrust its details
to you, and will hold you to blame if anything goes
amiss through lack of care. I am a woman, and amyoung. But I shall undertake this enterprise, andgo with you disguised as a man, trusting to you andmy army, and, above all, to the gods. If we are
wise and valiant, a wealth}- country shall be ours.
If we succeed, the glory shall be yours ; if through
evil fortune we fail, on me shall lie all the guilt anddisgrace."
The enthusiasm of the empress infected the com-manders, who promised her their full support in her
enterprise, which was by far the greatest that Japan
JINGU, THE AMAZON OF JAPAN. 31
had ever ventured upon. The ships were built, but
the perils of the voyage frightened the people, and
the army increased but slowly. Impatient at the
delay, but with no thought of giving up her task,
the empress again appealed to the gods. A shrine
of purification was built, lustrations were made,
saci'ifices offered, and prayers for speedy success
sent up to the celestial hosts. The Kami, or gods,
proved favorable still. Troops now came rapidly in.
Soon a large army was assembled and embarked,
and all was ready for the enterprise. It was the
year 201 A.D., the first year of the third Christian
century.
Jingu now issued her final orders, to the following
effect
:
" There must be no plundering.
" Despise not a few enemies, and fear not many." Give mercy to those who yield, but no quarter to
the stubborn.
" The victors shall be rewarded ; deserters shall be
punished."
Then through her lips the gods spoke again
:
'• The Spirit of Peace will always guide and protect
you. The Spirit of War will guide your ships across
the seas.""
It must here be remarked that the annals of Japan
do not seem to be in full harmony. In the days of
vSujin the civilizcr, a century and a half earlier, weare told that there was regular communication be-
tween Corea and Kiushiu, and that a prince of
Corea came to Japan to live; while the story of
Jingu seems to indicate that Corea was absolutely
32 niSTORICATi TALES.
iiiil-:iio\vn to the islanders. There were none to pilot
tlio fleet across the seas, and the generals seemed
ignorant of where Corea was to be found, or of tlie
])roper direction in which to steer. They lacked
chart and compass, and had only the sun, the stars,
and the flight of birds as guides. As Noah sent out
birds from his ark to spy out the land, so they sent
fishermen ahead of the fleet, and with much the
same result. The first of these messengers went far
to the west, and returned with the word that land
was nowhere to be seen. Another messenger wassent, and came back with cheering news. On the
western horizon he had seen the snowy peaks of
distant mountains.
Inspired by this report, the adventurers sailed
boldly on. The winds, the waves, the currents, all
aided their speed. The gods even sent shoals of
huge fishes in their wake, which heaped up the
waves and drove them forward, lifting the sterns
and making the prows leap like living things.
At length land was seen by all, and with shouts
of joy they ran their ships ashore upon the beach of
Southern Corea. The sun shone in all its splendor
upon the gallant host, which landed speedily uponthe new-found shores, where it was marshalled in
imposing array.
The Coreans seem to have been as ignorant of
geography as the Japanese. The king of this part
of the country-, hearing that a strange fleet had comefrom the east and a powerful army landed on his
shores, was lost in terror and amazement," Who can these be, and whence have they come ?"
JINGU, THE AMAZON OF JAPAN. oS
he exclaimed. " We have never heard of any coun-
try beyond the seas. Have the gods forsaken us,
and sent this host of strangers to our undoing?"
Such was the fear of the king that he made no re-
sistance to the invaders. Corean envoys were sent
to them with the white flags of peace, and the
country was given up without a fight. The king
offered to deliver all his treasures to the invading
host, agreed to pay tribute to Japan, and promised
to furnish hostages in pledge of his good faith. His
nobles joined with him in his oath. The rivers
might flow backward, they declared, or the pebbles
in the river-beds leap up to the stars, but they would
never break their word.
Jingu now set up weapons before the gate of the
king in token of her suzerainty and of the peace
which had been sworn. The spoils won from the
conquered land consisted of eighty ships well laden
with gold and precious goods of every kind the coun-
try possessed, while eighty noble Corcans were taken
as hostages for the faith of the king. And now, with
blare of trumpet and clash of weapons, with shouts
of triumph and songs of praise to the gods, the fleet
set sail for home. Two months had sufficed for the
whole great enterprise.
Nine empresses in all have sat upon the throne
of Japan, but of these Jingu alone won martial
renown and gained a great place in history. TheJapanese have always felt proud of this conquest of
Corea, the first war in which their armies had gone
to a foreign country to fight. They had, to use
their common phrase, made " the arms of Japan3
:', I HISTORICAL TALES.
sliine beyond the seas," and the glory of the ex-
ploit descended not only on the Amazon queen, but
in greater measure upon her son, who was born
shortly after her return to Japan,
The Japanese have given more honor to this son,
still unborn when the conquest was achieved, than
to his warlike mother. It was in him, not in his
mother, they declare, that the Spirit of War resided,
and he is now worshipped in Japan as the god of
War. Ojin by name, he became a great warrior,
lived to be a hundred and ten years old, and was
deified after his death. Through all the centuries
since he has been worshipped by the people, and by
soldiers in particular. Some of the finest temples
in Japan have been erected in his honor, and the land
is full of shrines to this Eastern Mars. He is repre-
sented with a frightful and scowling countenance,
holding in his arms a broad, two-edged sword. In
all periods of Japanese art a favorite subject has
been the group of the snowy-bearded Takenouchi,
the Japanese Methuselah, holding the infant Ojin in
his arms, while Jingu, the heroic mother, stands by
in martial robes.
THE DECLINE OF THE MIKAD OS.
Our journey through Japanese history now takes
us over a wide leap, a period of nearly a thousand
years, during which no event is on record of suffi-
cient interest to call for special attention. Theannals of Japan are in some respects minute, but
only at long intervals does a hero of importance
rise above the general level of ordinary mortals.
We shall, therefore, pass with a rapid tread over
this long period, giving only its general historical
trend.
The conquest of Corea was of high importance
to Japan. It opened the way for a new civilization
to flow into the long isolated island realm. For
centuries afterwards Corea served as the channel
through which the arts and thoughts of Asia,
reached the empire of the mikados. We are told
of envoys bearing tribute from Corea of horses, and
of tailors, and tinally a schoolmaster, being sent
to Japan. The latter, Wani by name, is said to
have introduced the art of writing. Mulberry-trees
were afterwards planted and silk-culture was un-
dertaken. Then came more tailors, and after them
architects and learned men. At length, in the year
552, a part}'- of doctors, astronomers, astrologists,
and mathematicians came from Corea to the Jap-
anese court, and with them a number of Buddhist
35
36 HISTORICAL TALES.
missionaries, who brought a new religion into the
land.
Thus gradually the arts, sciences, letters, and re-
ligions of Asia made their way into the island king-
dom, and the old life of .Japan was transformed. Awave of foreign civilization had flowed across the
seas to give new life and thought to the island people,
and the progress of Japan from the baibarism of
the far past towards the civilization of the present
day then fairly began.
Meanwhile, important changes were taking place
in the government. From the far-off days of
Jimmu, the first emperor, until a century after
Buddhism was introduced, the mikados were the
actual rulers of their people. The palace was not a
place of seclusion, the face of the monarch was vis-
ible to his subjects, and he appeared openly at the
head of the army and in the affairs of government.
This was the golden age of the imperial power. Aleaden age was to succeed.
The change began in the appointment by Sujin of
ehoguns or generals over the military departments
of the government. Gradually two distinct official
castes arose, those in charge of civil affairs and
those at the head of military operations. As the
importance of these officials grew, they stood be-
tween the emperor and his subjects, secluding himmore and more from the people. The mikado grad-
ually became lost to view behind a screen of official-
ism, which hid the throne. Eventually all the mili-
tary power fell into the hands of the shoguns, and
the mikado was seen no more at the head of his
THE DECLINE OF THE MIKADOS. 3/
army. His power decayed, as he became to the
peojDle rather a distant deity than a present and
active ruler. There arose in time a double govern-
ment, with two capitals and centres of authority;
the military caste became dominant, anarchy ruled
for centuries, the empire was broken up into a series
of feudal provinces and baronies, and the unity of
the past was succeeded by the division of authority
which existed until far within the nineteenth cen-
tury. The fact that there were two rulers, in two
capitals, gave the impression that there were two
emperors in Japan, one spiritual and one secular, and
when Commodore Perry reached that country, in
1853, he entered into a treaty with the shogun or
"tycoon," the head of the military caste, under tlie
belief that he was dealing with the actual ruler of
Japan. The truth is, there has never been but one
emperor in Japan, the mikado. Ills power has
varied at times, but he is now again the actual and
visible head of the empire, and the shoguns, whoonce lorded it so mightily, have been swept out of
existence.
This explanation is necessary in order that readers
may understand the peculiar conditions of Japanese
history. Gradually the mikado became surrounded
by a hedge of etiquette which removed him from
the view of the outer world. He never appeared
in public, and none of his subjects, except his wives
and his highest ministers, ever saw his face. Hosat on a throne of mats behind a curtain, even his
feet not being ullowetl to touch the earth. If ho left
the palace tu go abroad in the city, the journey was
38 HISTORICAL TALES.
made in a closely curtained car drawn by bullocks.
To the people, the mikado became like a deity, his
name sacred and inviolable, his power in the hands
of the boldest of his subjects.
Buddhism had now become the official religion
of the empire, priests multiplied, monasteries Avere
founded, and the court became the chief support of
the new faith, the courtiers zealously studying the
sacred books of India, while the mikado and his
empress sought by every means to spread the newbelief among their people.
An emperor thus occupied could not pay muchattention to the duties of government, and the power
of the civil ministers and military chiefs grew accord-
ingly. The case was like that of the Merovingian
monarchs of France and the Mayors of the Palace,
who in time succeeded to the throne. The mikados
began to abdicate after short reigns, to shave off
their hair to show that they renounced the w^orld
and its vanities, to become monks and spend the re-
mainder of their daj'S in the cloister. These short
reigns helped the shoguns and ministers in their
ambitious purposes, until in time the reins of power
fell into the hands of a few great families, who fought
furiously with one another for the control. It is with
the feuds of these families that we have now to do.
The mikados had sunk out of sight, being regarded
by the public with awe as spiritual emperors, while
their ministers rose into power and became the
leaders of life and the lords of events in Japan.
First among these noble families to gain control
was that of the Fujiwara (\Yistaria meadow). They
THE DECLINE OF THE MIKADOS. 39
were of royal origin, and rose to leading power in
the year 645, when Kamatari, the founder of the
family, became regent of the empire. All the great
oflBces of the empire in time fell into the hands of
the Fujiwaras : they married their daughters to the
mikados, surrounded them with their adherents, and
governed the empire in their name. In the end they
decided who should be mikado, ruled the country
like monarchs, and became in effect the proprietors
of the throne. In their strong hands the mikado
sank into a puppet, to move as they pulled the
strings.
But the Fujiwaras were not left to lord it alone.
Other great families sought a share of the power,
and their rivalry often ended in war and bloodshed.
The most ancient of these rivals was the family of
the Sugawara. Greatest in this family was the
renowned Sugawara Michizane, a polished courtier
and famous scholar, whose talents raised him to the
highest position in the realm. Japan had no manof greater learning; his historical works became
famous, and some of them are still extant. But his
genius did not save him from misfortune. His rivals,
the Fujiwara, in the end succeeded in having him
banished to Kiushiu, where, exposed to dire poverty,
he starved to death. This martyr to official rivalry
is now worshipped in Japan as a deity, the patron
god of Hterature and letters. Temples have been
erected to him, and students worship at his shrine.
At a later date two other powerful families became
rivals for the control of the empire and added to the
anarchy of the realm. The first of these was the
40 HISTORICAL TALES.
Taira family, founded 889 a.d., whose members at-
lained prominence as great military chiefs. The
second was tlie Minamoto family, founded somewhat
later, which rose to be a powerful rival of the Taira,
their rivahy often taking the form of war. For
centuries the governmental and military history of
Japan was made up of a record of the jealousies and
dissensions of these rival families, in whose hands
lay war and peace, power and place, and with whose
quarrels and struggles for power our next tales will
be concerned.
HOWTHE TAIRA AND THE MINA-MOTO FOUGHTFOR PO WER.
In the struggle of the great families of Japan for
precedence, the lords of the Fujiwara held the civil
power of the realm, while the shoguns, or generals,
Avere chosen from the Taira and Minamoto clans.
Bred to arms, leading the armies of the empire in
many, a hard-fought war, making the camp their
home, and loving best the trumpet-blast of battle,
they became hardy and daring warriors, the military
caste of Japan. While war continued, the shoguns
were content to let the Fujiwara lord it at court,
themselves preferring the active labors of the field.
Only when peace prevailed, and there were no ene-
mies to conquer nor rebels to subdue, did these war-
riors begin to long for the spoils of place and to envy
the Fujiwara their power.
Chief among those thus moved by ambition wasKiyomori, the greatest of the Taira leaders. As a
boy he possessed a strong frame and showed a proud
spirit, wearing unusually high clogs, which in Japan
indicates a disposition to put on lordly airs. His
position as the son of a soldier soon gave him an
opportunity to show his mettle. The seas then
swarmed with pirates, who had become the scourge
alike of Corea and of Japan and were making havoc
among the mercantile fleets. The ambitiou.s boy,
41
42 HISTORICAL TALES.
full of warlike spirit, demanded, when but eighteen
years of age, to be sent against these ocean pests,
and cruised against them in the Suwo Nada, a part
of the Inland Sea. Here he met and fought a ship-
load of the most desperate of the buccaneers, cap-
turing their vessel, and then attacking them in their
place of refuge, which he destroyed.
For years afterwards Kiyomori showed the
greatest valor by land and sea, and in 1153, being
then thirty-six years of age, he succeeded his father
as minister of justice for Japan. Up to this time
the families of the Taira and the Minamoto had been
friendly rivals in the field. Now their friendship
came to an end and was succeeded by bitter enmity.
In 1156 there were rival claimants for the throne,
one supported by each of these great families. The
Taira party succeeded, got possession of the palace,
and controlled the emperor whom they had raised to
the throne.
Kiyomori soon attained the highest power in the
realm, and in him the military caste first rose to
pre-eminence. The Fujiwara were deposed, all the
high otfices at court were filled by his relatives, and
he made himself the military chief of the empire
and the holder of the civil authority, the mikado
being but a creature of his will.
History at this point gives us a glimpse of a
curious state of affairs. Go-Shirawaka, the emperor
whom Kiyomori had raised to the throne in 1156,
abdicated in 1159, shaved off his hair, and became a
Buddhist monk, professing to retire from the world
within the holy cloisters of a monastery. But
HOW THE TAIRA AND MINAMOTO FOUGHT. 43
nothing was farther from his thoughts. He was a
man of immoral desires, and found his post on the
throne a check to the debaucheries in which he
wished to indulge. As a monk he exercised more
power than he had done as a mikado, retaining the
control of affairs during the reigns of his son and his
two grandsons. The ranks and titles of the empire
were granted by him with a lavish hand, and their
disposition was controlled by Kiyomori, his powerful
confederate, who, in addition to raising his relatives
to power, held himself several of the highest offices
in the realm.
The power of the Taira family increased until sixty
men of the clan held important posts at court, while
their lands spread over thirty provinces. They had
splendid palaces in Kioto, the capital, and in Fuku-
wara, overlooking the Inland Sea. The two sons of
Kiyomori were made generals of high rank, and his
daughter became wife of the emperor Takakura, a
boy eleven years of age. The Taira chief was now at
the summit of power, and his foes in the depths of
distress. The Fujiwara, who had no military power,
were unable to contend with him, and his most
dangerous rivals, the Minamoto, were slain or driven
into exile. Yoshitomo, the head of the house, wasassassinated by a traitor bribed by Kiyomori, his
oldest son was beheaded, and the others—whom he
thought to be the last of the Minamoto—were either
banished or immured in monasteries. All the reins
of power seemed to be in the regent's grasp.
The story is here diversified by a legend well
worth repeating. One of the Minamoto, Tametomo
44 HISTORICAL TALES,
by name, was an archer of marvellous powers. His
strength was equal to that of fifty ordinary men,
and such was the power of his right arm, which
was shorter than his left, that he could draw a bowwhich four common archers could not bend, and let
fly a shaft five feet long, with an enormous bolt as
its head. This Japanese Hercules was banished from
the court at the instigation of the Taira, the muscles
of his arm were cut, and he was sent in a cage to
Idzu.
Escaping from his guards, he fled to one of the
smaller islands, and remained in concealment until
his arm had healed. Here the great archer became
governor of the people, and forbade them to pay
tribute to the throne. A fleet of boats was de-
spatched against him, but, standing on the strand,
he sent an arrow hurtling through the timbers of
the nearest vessel and sunk it beneath the waves.
Then, shouting defiance to his foes, he shut himself
up in his house, set fire to it, and perished in the
flames. But another legend relates that he fled to
the Loochoo Islands, where he became ruler and
founder of their dynasty of kings. On the Japanese
greenback notes is a picture of this mighty archer,
who is shown grasping his bow after sinking the ship.
It was the purpose of Kiyomori to exterminate
the family of his foes. In two instances he was in-
duced to let sons of that fiimily live, a leniency for
which the Taira were to pay bitterly in the end.
The story of both these boys is full of romance.
We give one of them here, reserving the other for
a succeeding tale. Yoi-itomo, the third son of Yoshi-
HOW THE TAIRA AND MINAMOTO FOrOIIT. 45
tomo, was twelve years of age at the dale of his
father's defeat and death. During the retreat the
boy was separated from his companions, and fell
into the hands of an oflSeer of the opposite party,
who took him as prisoner to Kioto, the capital.
Here the regent sentenced him to death, and the day
for his execution was fixed. Only the tender heart
of a woman saved the life of one who was destined
to become the avenger of his father and friends.
" Would you like to live?" the boy's captor asked
him.
" Yes," he replied ;" my father and mother are
both dead, and who but I can pray for their happi-
ness in the world to come ?"
The feehngs of the officer were touched by this
reply, and, hoping to save the boy, he told the
story to the step-mother of Kiyomori, who was a
Buddhist nun. The filial piety of the child affected
her, and she was deeply moved when the officer said,
" Yoritomo is much like Prince Uma."
Uma had been her favorite son, one loved and lost,
and, her mother's heart stirred to its depths, she
sought Kiyomori and begged him to spare the boy's
life. He was obdurate at first, worldly wisdom bid-
ding him to remove the last scion of his foes, but in
the end he yielded to his mother's praj'er and con-
sented to spare the child, condemning him, how-
ever, to distant exile. This softness of heart he wasbitterly to regi'et.
Yoritomo was banished to the province of Idzu,
where he was kept under close guard by two officers
of the Taira. He was advised by a friend to shave
46 HISTORICAL TALES.
off his hair and become a monk, but a faithful ser-
vant who attended him counselled him to keep his
hair and await with a brave heart what the future
might bring forth. The boy was shrewd and pos
sessed of high self-control. None of the remaining
followers of his father dared communicate with him,
and enemies surrounded him, yet he restrained all
display of feeling, was patient under provocation,
capable of great endurance, and so winning in man-
ner that he gained the esteem even of the enemies
of his family.
The story of Yoritomo's courtship and marriage
is one of much interest. Hojo Tokimasa, a noble
with royal blood in his veins, had two daughters, the
elder being of noted beauty, the younger lacking in
personal charms. The exiled youth, who wished to
ally himself to this powerful house and was anxious
to win the mother's favor in his suit, was prudent
enough to choose the homely girl. He sent her a let-
ter, asking her hand in marriage, by his servant, but
the latter, who had ideas of his own and prefei'red
the beauty for his master's wife, destroyed the letter
and wrote another to Masago, the elder daughter.
That night the homely sister had a dream. Apigeon seemed to fly to her with a box of gold in its
beak. She told her vision to her sister, whom it
deeply interested, as seeming to be a token of somegood fortune coming.
" I will bu}' your dream," she said. " Sell it to me,
and I will give you my toilet mirror in exchange.
The price I pay is little," she repeated, using a com-
mon Japanese phrase.
HOW THE TAIRA AND MINAMOTO FOUGHT. 47
The homely sister willingly made the exchange,
doubtless preferring a mirror to a dream. But she
had hardly done so when the messenger arrived with
the letter he had prepared. Masago gladly accepted,
already being well inclined towards the handsome
youth, but her father had meanwhile promised her
band to another suitor, and refused to break his
word. The marriage was solemnized. But an un-
derstanding had been reached between the lovers,
and early on the wedding-night Masago eloped with
the waiting youth. In vain the husband sought fur
the fleeing pair. The father, seemingly angry, aided
him in his search, though really glad at the lovers'
flight. He much preferred Yoritomo, though he had
been bound by his word, and in later years he be-
came one of his ablest partisans. Masago rose to
fume in Japanese history, aided in the subsequent
triumph of her spouse, and did much to add to the
splendor and dignity of his court.
During this period Kiyomori was making ene-
mies, and in time became so insolent and overbear-
ing that a conspiracy was formed for his overthrow.
At the head of this was one of the royal princes,
who engaged Yoritomo in the plot. The young ex-
ile sent out agents right and left to rouse the dis-^
contented. Many were won over, but one of themlaughed the scheme to scorn, saying, " For an exile
to plot against the Taira is like a mouse plotting
against a cat."
But a conspiracy cannot be killed by a laugh.
Yoritomo was soon in the field at the head of a body
of followers. A fierce fight took place in the mouu-
48 HISTORICAL TALES.
tains, in which the younc^ rebel fought bravelj', but
was defeated and forced to flee for his life. Pursuit
was sharp, and he escaped only by liiding in a hollow
log. He afterwards reached a temple and concealed
himself in the priests' wardrobe. At length he suc-
ceeded in crossing the Bay of Yedo to Awa, on its
northern side. Here he found friends, sent out
agents, and was not long in gathering a new armyfrom the old friends of the Minamoto and those whohated the tyrant. In a few months he was at the
head of a large and well-drilled force, with manynoted generals in command. The country was fer-
tile and food abundant, and day by day the armybecame larger.
But the Taira were not idle. Kiyomori quickly
gathered a large army, which he sent to put downthe rebellion, and the hostile forces came face to
fhce on opposite sides of the Fuji Eiver, the swiftest
stream in Japan. Between them rolled the impetuous
flood, which neither party dared to cross in the face
of the foe, the most they could do being to glare at
one another across the stream.
The story goes that one of the Taira men, knowingthat the turn of the tide would favor their enemies,
went to the river flats at night and stirred up the
flocks of wild fowl that rested there. What he hoped
to gain by this is not very clear, but it told against
his own side, for the noise of the flocks was thought
by the Taira force to be due to a night attack from
their foes, and they fled in a sudden panic.
After this bloodless victory Yoritomo returned to
his chosen place of residence, named Kamakura,
HOW THE TAIRA AND MINAMOTO FOrOHT. 49
where he began to build a city that should rival the
capital in size and imjiortance. A host of builders
and laborers was set at work, the dense thickets were
cleared away, and a new town rapidly sprang up,
with streets lined with dwellings and shops, store-
houses of food, imposing temples, and lordly man-
sions. The anvils rang merrily as the armorers forged
weapons for the troops, merchants sought the newcity with their goods, heavily laden boats flocked
into its harbor, and almost as if by magic a great
city, the destined capital of the shoguns, rose from
the fields.
The site of Kamakura had been well chosen. It
lay in a valley facing the open sea, while in the rear
rose a semicircle of precipitous hills. Through these
roadways were cut, which might easily be defended
against enemies, while offering free access to friends.
The power of the Minamoto had suddenly grownagain, and the Taira saw fronting them an active
and vigorous foe where a year before all had seemed
tranquil and the land their own.
To the proud Kiyomori this was a bitter draught.
He fell sick unto death, and the high officials of the
empire gathered round his bed, in mortal fear lest he
to whom they owed their power should be swept
away. With his last breath the vindictive old chief
uttered invectives against his foes.
" My only regret is that I am dying," he said,
"and have not yet seen the head of Yoritomo of the
Minamoto. After my decease do not make offerings
to Buddha on ni}^ account ; do not read the sacred
books. Only cut off the head of Yoritomo of the
4
50 HISTORICAL TALES.
Miiuimoto and hang it on my tomb. This is my sole
command : see that it be faithfully performed."
This order was not destined to be carried out.
Yoritomo was to die peacefully, eleven years after-
wards, in 1199, with his head safe on his shoulders.
Yet his bedchamber was nightly guarded, lest traitors
should take his life, while war broke out from end to
end of the empire. Kiyomori's last words seemed to
have lighted up its flames. Step by step the forces of
Yoritomo advanced. Victory followed their banners,
and the foe went down in death. At length Kioto,
the capital of the mikado, was reached, and fell into
their hands. The Taira fled with the young mikado
and his wife, but his brother was proclaimed mikado
in his stead, and all the treasures of the Taira fell
into the victors' hands.
Though the power of Yoritomo now seemed as-
sured, he had a rebellion in his own ranks to meet.
His cousin Yoshinaka, the leader of the conquering
army, was so swollen with pride at his success that
he forced the court to grant him the highest military
title, imprisoned the old ex mikado Go-Shirakawa,
who had long been the power behind the throne, be-
headed the Buddhist abbots who had opposed him,
and acted with such rebellious insolence that Yori-
tomo had to send an army against him. A battle
took place, in which he was defeated and killed.
Yoritomo was now supreme lord of Japan, the
mikado, for whom he acted, being a mere tool in his
hands. Yet one great conflict had still to be fought
by the shogun's younger brother, whose romantic
story we have next to tell.
THE BAYARD OF JAPAN.
YoRiTOMO was not the only son of the Mi n amoto
chief whom the tyrant let live. There was another,
a mere babe at the time, who became a hei*o of chiv-
alry, and whose life has ever since been the beacon
of honor and knightly virtue to the youth of Japan.
When Yosliitomo fled from his foes after his defeat
in 1159, there went with him a beautiful young peas-
ant girl, named Tokiwa, whom he had deeply loved,
and who had borne him three children, all boys.
The chief was murdered by three assassins hired byhis foe, and Tokiwa fled with her children, fearing
lest they also should be slain.
It was winter. Snow deeply covered the ground.
Whither she should go or how she should live the
poor mother knew not, but she kept on, clasping her
babe to her breast, while her two little sons trudged
by her side, the younger holding her hand, the older
carrjing his father's sword, which she had taken as
the last relic of her love. In the end the fleeing
woman, half frozen and in peril of starvation, wasmet by a soldier of the army of her foes. Iler
pitiable condition and the helplessness of her chil-
dren moved him to compassion, and he gave her
shelter and food.
Her flight troubled Kiyomori, who had hoped to
destroy the whole family of his foes, and had given
61
52 HISTORICAL TALES.
strict orders for her capture or death. Not being
able to discover her place of retreat, he conceived a
plan which he felt sure would bring her within
his power. In Japan and China alike affection for
parents is held to be the highest duty of a child, the
basal element of the ancient religion of both these
lands. He therefore seized Tokiwa's mother, feeling
sure that filial duty would bring her to Kioto to save
her mother's life.
Tokiwa heard that her mother was held as a host-
age for her and threatened with death unless she,
with her children, should come to her relief. Thepoor woman was in an agony of doubt. Did she
owe the greatest duty to her mother, or to her chil-
dren? Could she deliver up her babes to death?
Yet could she abandon her mother, whom she had
been taught as her first and highest duty to guard
and revere? In this dilemma she conceived a plan.
Her beauty was all she possessed; but by its aid
she might soften the hard heart of Kiyomori and
save both her mother and her children.
Success followed her devoted effort. Eeaching the
capital, Tokiwa obtained an audience with the tj'rant,
who was so struck with her great beauty that he
wished to make her his mistress. At first she refused,
but her mother begged her with tears to coni^ent, and
she finally yielded on Kiyomori's promise that her
children should be spared. This mercy did not please
the friends of the tyrant, who insisted that the boys
should be put to death, fearing to let any one live
who bore the hated name of Minamoto. But the
beauty of the mother aud her tearful pleadings won
TUE BAYARD OF JAPAN. 53
the tjrant's consent, and her sacrifice for her children
was not in vain.
The younfjest of the three, the babe whom Tokiwa
had borne in her arms in her flight, grew up to be
a healthy, ruddy-cheeked boy, small of stature, but
fiery and impetuous in spirit. Kiyomori had no in-
tention, however, that these hoys should be left at
liberty to cause him trouble in the future. When of
proper age he sent them to a monastery, ordering
that they should be brought up as priests.
The elder boys consented to this, suffering their
black hair to be shaved off" and the robes of Buddhist
neophytes to be put on them. But Yoshitsune, the
youngest, had no fancy for the life of a monk, and
refused to let the razor come near his hair. Thoughdwelling in the monastery, he was so merry and self-
willed that his pranks caused much scandal, and the
pious bonzes knew not what to do with tliis young
ox, as they called the irrepressible boy.
As Yoshitsune grew older, his distaste at the dul-
ness of his life in the cloister increased. The w^ai's
in the north, word of which penetrated even those
holy walls, inspired his ambition, and he determined
in some way to escape. The opportunity to do so soon
arose. Traders from the outer world made their
way within the monastery gates for purposes of busi-
ness, and among these was an iron-merchant, whowas used to making frequent journeys to the north
of the island of Hondo to obtain the fine iron of
the celebrated mines of that region. The youth
begged this iron-merchant to take him on one of his
journeys, a request which lie at first refused, through
54 HISTORICAL TALES.
fear of oflFeiiding tlie priests. But Yoshitsune in-
sisted, saying that they would be glad enough to be
rid of him, and the trader at length consented. Yo-
shitsune was light: the priests were verj- well satis-
fied to learn that he had taken himself off.
On the journey the youthful noble gave proofs of
remarkable valor and strength. lie seized and held
prisoner a bold robber, and on another occasion
helped to defend the house of a man of wealth from
an attack by robbers, five of whom he killed. These
and other exploits alarmed a friend who was with
him, and who bade him to be careful lest the Taira
should hear of his doings, learn who he was, and kill
him.
The boy at length found a home with the prince
of Mutsu, a nobleman of the Fujiwara clan. Here
he spent his days in military exercises and the
chase, and by the time he was twenty-one had
gained a reputation as a soldier of great valor and
consummate skill, and as a wai'rior in whom the true
spirit of chivalry seemed inborn. A youth of such
honor, virtue, courage, and martial fire Japan had
rarel}' known.'. In the war that soon arose between Yoritomo and
the Taira the j'outhful Bayard served his bi'other
well. Kiyomori, in sparing the sons of the Mina-
nioto chief, had left alive the two ablest of all who bore
that name. So groat were the skill and valor of the
young warrior that his brother, on the rebellion of
Yoshinaka, made Yoshitsune commander of the armyof the west, and sent him against the rebellious gen-
eral, who was quickly defeated and slain.
THE IJAYAHD OP JAPAN. 55
But the Taira, though they had becu driven from
the capital, had still rnanj^ adherents in the land, and
were earnestly endeavoring to raise an army in the
Bouth and west. Unfortunately for them, they had
a leader to deal with who knew the value of celerity.
Yoshitsune laid siege to the fortified palace of Fuku-
wara, within which the Taira leaders lay intrenched,
and pushed the siege with such energy that in a
short time the palace was taken and in flames.
Those who escaped fled to the castle of Yashima,
which their active enem}^ also besieged and burned.
As a last refuge the Taira leaders made their w^ay to
the Straits of Shimonoseki, where they had a large
fleet of junks.
The final struggle in this war took place in the
fourth month of the year 1185. Yoshitsune had with
all haste got together a fleet, and the two armies, nowafloat, met on the waters of the strait for the greatest
naval battle that Japan had ever known. The Taira
fleet consisted of five hundred vessels, which held
not only the fighting men, but their mothers, wives,
and children, among them the dethroned mikado,
a child six years of age. The Minamoto fleet Avas
composed of seven hundred junks, containing none
but men.
In the battle that followed, the young leader of the
Minamoto showed the highest intrepidity. The fight
began with a fierce onset from the Taira, which drove
back their foe. With voice and example Yoshitsune
encouraged his men. For an interval the combat
lulled. Then Wada, a noted archer, shot an arrow
which struck the junk of a Taira chief.
56 HISTOUICAL TALES.
" Shoot it back !" cried the chief.
An archer plucked it from the wood, fitted it to
hin bow, and let fly at the Minamoto fleet. The
sliaft grazed the helmet of one warrior and pierced
the breast of another.
"Shoot it back!" cried Yoshitsune.
"It is short and weak," said Wada, plucking it
from the dead man's breast. Taking a longer shaft
from his quiver, be shot it with such force and sure-
ness of aim that it passed through the armor and
flesh of the Taira bowman and fell into the sea
beyond. Yoshitsune emptied his quiver with similar
skill, each arrow finding a victim, and soon the tide
of battle turned.
Treason aided the Minamoto in their victory. In
the vessel containing the son, widow, and daughter
of Kiyomori, and the young mikado, was a friend of
Yoshitsune, who had agreed upon a signal by which
this junk could be known. In the height of the
struggle the signal appeared. Yoshitsune at once
ordered a number of captains to follow with their
boats, and bore down on this central vessel of the
Taira fleet.
Soon the devoted vessel was surrounded by hostile
junks, and armed men leaped in numbers on its
deck. A Taira man- sprang upon Yoshitsune, sword
in hand, but he saved his life by leaping to another
junk, while his assailant plunged to death in the
encrimsoncd waves. Down went the Taira nobles
befoi'e the swords of their assailants. The widowof Kiyomori, determined not to be taken alive, seized
the youthful mikado and leaped into the sea. Mune-
THE BAYARD OP JAPAN. 57
mori, Kiyomori's son and the head of the Tuira
house, was taken, with many nobles and ladies of the
court.
Still the battle went on. Ship after ship of the
Taira fleet, their sides crushed by the prows of their
opponents, sunk beneath the reddened waters. Others
were boarded and swept clear of defenders by the
Bword. Hundreds perished, women and children as
•well as men. Hundreds more were taken captive.
The waters of the sea, that morning clear and
sparkling, were now the color of blood, and the
pride of the Taira clan lay buried beneath the
waves or were cast up by the unquiet waters upon
the strand. With that fatal day the Taira vanished
from the sight of men.
Yoritomo gave the cruel order that no male of
that hated family should be left alive, and armed
murderers sought them out over hill and vale, slaying
remorselessly all that could be traced. In Kioto
many boy children of the clan were found, all of
whom were slain. A few of the Taira name escaped
from the fleet and fled to Kiushiu, where they hid
in the lurking-places of the mountains. There, in
poverty and pride, their descendants still survive,
having remained unknown in the depths of their
covert until about a century ago.
The story of Yoshitsune, which began in such
glory, ends in treachery and ingratitude. Yoritomo
envied the brother to whose valor his power waslargely due. Hatred replaced the love which should
have tilled his heart, and he was ready to believe
any calumny against the noble young soldier.
68 HISTORICAL TALES.
One Kajiwara, a military adviser in the army,
grew incensed at Yoshitsune for acting against
his advice, and hastened to Yoritomo with lies and
slanders. The shogun, too ready to believe these
stories, forbade Yoshitsune to enter the city on his
return with the spoils of victory. The youthful
victor wrote him a touching letter, which is still
extant, recounting his toils and dangers, and appeal-
ing for justice and the clearance from suspicion of
his fair fame.
Weary of waiting, he went to Kioto, where he
found himself pursued by assassins. He escaped into
Yamato, but was again pursued. Once more he es-
caped and concealed himself, but spies traced him
out and the son of his host tried to murder him.
What finally became of the hero is not known.
The popular belief is that he killed himself with his
own hand, after slaying his wife and children. Some
believe that he escaped to Yezo, where for years he
dwelt among the Ainos, who to-day worship his
spirit and have erected a shi-ine over what they
claim to be his grave. The preposterous story is
even advanced that he fled to Asia and became the
great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan.
Whatever became of him, his name is immortal in
Japan. Every Japanese 3-outh looks ujDon the youth-
ful martyr as the ideal hero of his race, his form
and deeds are glorified in art and song, and while a
martial thought survives in Japan the name of this
Bayard of the island empire will be revered.
THE HOyO TYRANNY.
Under the rule of Yoritomo Japan had two capi-
tals and two governments, the mikado ruling at
Kioto, the shogun at Kamakura, the magnificent
city which Yoritomo had founded. The great family
of the Minamoto was now supreme, all its rivals
being destroyed. A special tax for the support of
the troops yielded a large revenue to the shoguns
;
courts were established at Kamakura; the priests,
who had made much trouble, were disarmed; a
powerful permanent army was established ; a mili-
tary chief was placed in each province beside the
civil governor, and that military government wasfounded which for nearly seven centuries robbed the
mikado of all but the semblance of power. Thus it
came that the shogun, or the tycoon as he after-
wards named himself, appeared to be the emperor of
Japan.
We have told how Yoritomo, once a poor exile,
became the lord of the empire. After conquering
all his enemies he visited Kioto, where he astonished
the court of the mikado by the splendor of his
retinue and the magnificence of his military shows,
athletic games, and ceremonial banquets. The two
rulers exchanged the costliest presents, the emperor
conferred all authority upon the general, and whenYoritomo returned to his capital city he held in his
69
GO HISTORICAL TALES.
control the ruling power of the realm. All generals
were called shoguns, but he was the shogun, his title
being Sei-i Tai Shogun (Barbarian-subjugating Great
General). Though really a vassal of the emperor,
he wielded the power of the emperor himself, and
from 1192 until 1808 the miUados were insignificant
puppets and the shoguns the real lords of the land.
Such was the strange progress of political evolution
in Japan. The mikado was still emperor, but the
holders of this title lay buried in sloth or religious
fanaticism and let their subordinates rule.
And now we have another story to tell concern-
ing this strange political evolution. As the shoguns
became paramount over the mikados, so did the
Hojo, the regents of the shoguns, become paramount
over them, and for nearly one hundred and fifty
years these vassals of a vassal were the virtual em-
perors of Japan. This condition of affairs gives a
curious complication to the history of that country.
In a previous tale it has been said that the father
of Masago, the beautiful wife of the exiled prince, wasnamed Hojo Tokimasa. He was a man of ability and
was much esteemed and trusted b}- his son-in-law.
After the death of Yoritomo and the accession of
his son, Tokimasa became chief of the council of
state, and brought up the young shogun in idleness
and dissipation, wielding the power in his name.
When the boy reached manhood and began to showambition to rule, Tokimasa had him exiled to a
temple and soon after assassinated. His brother,
then twelve years old, succeeded as shogun. Hecared nothing for power, but much for enjoyment,
THE HOJO TYRANNY. 61
and the Hojo let him live his life of pleasure while
they held the control of affairs. In the end he wasjnui-dered by the son of the slain shogun, who wasin his turn killed by a soldier, and thus the family
of Yoritomo became extinct.
From that time forward the Hojo continued pre-
eminent. They were able men, and governed the
country well. The shoguns were chosen by themfrom the Minamoto clan, boys being selected, someof them but two or three years old, who were de-
posed as soon as they showed a desire to rule. Thesame was the case with the mikados, who were also
creatures of the Hojo clan. One of them who had
been deposed raised an army and fought for his
throne. He was defeated and exiled to a distant
monastery. Others were deposed, and neither mi-
kados nor shoguns were permitted to reign except
as jDuppets in the hands of the powerful regents of
the realm.
None of the Hojo ever claimed the office of
shogun. They were content to serve as the powerbehind the throne. As time went on, the usual
result of such a state of affairs showed itself. Theable men of the Hojo family were followed by weakand vicious ones. Their tyranny and misgovern-
ment grew unbearable. They gave themselves up to
luxury and debauchery, oppressed the people bytaxes to obtain means for their costly pleasures,
and crushed beneath their oppressive rule the em-
peror, the shogun, and the people alike. Their cup
of vice and tyranny at length overflowed. The day
of retribution was at hand.
62 HISTORICAL TALES.
The son of the mikado Go-Daigo was the first to
rebel. His plans were discovered by spies, and his
father ordered him to retire to a monastery, in
which, however, he continued to plot revenge. Go-
Daigo himself next struck for the power of which
he possessed but the name. Securing the aid of
the Buddhist priests, he fortified Kasagi, a strong-
hold in Yamato. He failed in his effort. In the
following year (1331) an army attacked and took
Kasagi, and the emperor was taken prisoner and
banished to Oki.
Connected with his exile is a story of muchdramatic interest. While Go-Daigo was being borne
in a palanquin to his place of banishment, under
a guard of soldiers, Kojima, a young noble of his
party, attempted his rescue. Gathering a party of
followers, he occupied a pass in the hills through
which he expected that the train would make its
way. But another pass was taken, and he waited in
vain.
Learning their mistake, his followers, disheartened
by their failure, deserted him. But the faithful vassal
cautiously followed the train, making various efforts
to approach and whisper hope to the imperial exile.
He was prevented by the vigilance of the guard, andfinally, finding that either rescue or speech was hope-
less, he hit upon a plan to baffle the vigilance of the
guards and let the emperor know that friends werestill at work in his behalf.
Under the shadows of night he secretly entered
the garden of the inn where the party was resting,
and there scraped off the outer bark of a cherry-
LETTER-WRITING IN JAPAN.
THE IIOJO TYRANNY. 63
(i-ec, laying bare tlic smooth white layer within.
On this he wrote the following stanza:
" Heaven, destroy not Kosen
"While Hanrei still lives."
The next morning the soldiers noticed the writing
on the tree. Curious to learn its meaning, but un-
able to read, they showed it to their prisoner, who,
being familiar with the quotation, caught, with an
impulse of joy, its concealed significance. Kosen
was an ancient king of China who had been deposed
and made prisoner, but was afterwards restored to
power by his faithful follower Hanrei. Glad to learn
that loyal friends were seeking his release, the em-
peror went to his lonely exile with renewed hope.
Kojima afterwards died on the battle-field during the
war for the restoration of the exiled mikado.
But another valiant soldier was soon in the field
in the interest of the exile. Nitta Yoshisada, a cap-
tain of the Hojo forces, had been sent to besiege
Kusunoki, a vassal of the mikado, who held a strong-
hold for his imperial lord. Xitta, roused by con-
science to a sense of his true duty, refused to fight
against the emperor, deserted from the army, and,
obtaining a commission from Go-Daigo's son, whowas concealed in the mountains, ho returned to his
native place, raised the standard of revolt against
the Hojo, and soon found himself at the head of a
considerable force.
In thirteen days after raising the banner of revolt
in favor of the mikado he reached the vicinity of
Kamakura, acting under the advice of his brother,
64 HISTORICAL TALES.
who counselled him to beard the lion in his don.
The tyranny of the Hojo had spread far and wide
the spirit of rebellion, and thousands flocked to the
standard of the young general,—a long white pen-
nant, near whose top were two bars of black, and
under them a circle bisected with a zone of black.
On the eve of the day fixed for the attack on the
city, Nitta stood on the sea-shore in front of his
army, before him the ocean witli blue islands visible
afar, behind him lofty mountain peaks, chief amongthem the lordly Fu^siyama. Here, removing his
helmet, he uttered the following words
:
" Our heavenly son [the mikado] has been deposed
by his traitorous subject, and is now an exile afar in
the west. I have not been able to look on this act
unmoved, and have come to punish the traitors in
yonder city by the aid of these loyal troops. I
humbly pray you, O god of the ocean waves, to
look into the purposes of my heart. If jou favor
me and my cause, then bid the tide to ebb and open
a path beside the sea."
With these words he drew his sword and cast it
with all his strength into the water. For a momentthe golden hilt gleamed in the rays of the setting
sun, and then the blade sank from sight. But with
the dawn of the next day the soldiers saw with
delight that there had been a great ebb in the tide,
and that the dry strand offered a wide high-road
past the rocky girdle that enclosed Kamakura. Withtriumphant shouts they marched along this ocean
path, following a leader whom they now believed to
be the chosen avenger of the gods.
THE HOJO TYRANNY, 65
From two other sides the city of the shogun wasattacked. The defence was as fierce as the assault,
but everywhere victory rested upon the white banner
of 103'alty. Nitta's army pressed resistlessly forward,
and the Hojo found themselves defeated and their
army destroyed. Fire completed what the sword
had begun, destructive flames attacked the frame
dwellings of the city, and in a few hours the great
capital of the shoguns and their powerful regents
was a waste of ashes.
Many of the vassals of the Hojo killed themselves
rather than surrender, among them a noble namedAndo, whose niece was Nitta's wife. She wrote hima letter begging him to surrender.
" My niece is the daughter of a samurai house,"
the old man indignantly exclaimed. " How can she
make so shameless a request ? And why did Nitta,
who is himself a samurai, permit her to do so?"
Wrapping the letter around his sword, he plunged
the blade into his body and fell dead.
While Nitta was winning this signal victory,
others were in arms for the mikado elsewhere, andeverywhere the Hojo power went down. Thepeople in all sections of the empire rose against the
agents of the tyrants and put them to death, manythousands of the Hojo clan being slain and their
power utterly destroyed. The}- had ruled Japanfrom the death of Yoritomo, in 1199, to 1333. Theyhave since been execrated in Japan, the feeling of
the people being displayed in their naming one of the
destructive insects of the island the Hojo bug. Yetamong the Hojo were many able rulers, and under
5
66 HISTORICAL TALES.
them the empire was kept in peace and order for
over a century, while art and literature flourished
and many of the noblest monuments of Japanese
architecture arose.
Go-Daigo was now recalled from exile and re-
placed on the imperial throne. For the first time
for centuries the mikado had come to his own and
held the power of the empire in his hands. "With
judgment and discretion he might have restored the
old government of Japan.
But he lacked those important qualities, and
quickly lost the power he had won. After a jiassing
gleam of its old splendor the mikadoate sank into
eclipse again.
Go-Daigo was ruined by listening to a flatterer,
whom he raised to the highest power, while he
rewarded those who had rescued him with unim-
portant domains. A fierce war followed, in which
Ashikaga, the flatterer, was the victor, defeating and
destroying his foes. Go-Daigo had pronounced him
a rebel. In return he was himself deposed, and a
new emperor, whom the usurper could control, was
raised to the vacant throne. For three years only
had the mikado remained supreme. Then for a long
period the Ashikagas held the reins of power, and a
tyranny like that of the Hojo existed in the land.
THE TARTAR INVASION OFJAPAN.
In all its history only one serious effort has been
made to conquer the empire of Japan. It ended in
such dire disaster to the invaders that no nation has
ever repeated it. During the thirteenth century
Asia was thrown into turmoil by the dreadful out-
break of the Mongol Tartars under the great con-
queror Genghis Khan. Nearly all Asia was over-
run, Eussia was subdued, China was conquered, and
envoys were sent to Japan demanding tribute and
homage to the great khan.
Six times the demand was made, and six times re-
fused. Then an army of ten thousand men was sent
to Japan, but was soon driven from the country in
defeat. Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China,
now sent nine envoys to the shogun, bidding themto stay until they received an answer to his demand.
They stayed much longer than he intended, for the
Hojo, who were then in power, cut off their heads.
Once again the Chinese emperor sent to demandtribute, and once again the heads of the envoys were
severed from their bodies.
Acts like these could have only one result, and tiie
Japanese made rapid preparations to meet the great
power which had conquered Asia. A large armywas levied, forts and defences were put in order,
67
68 HISTORICAL TALES.
stores gathered in great quantities, and weapons and
munitions of war abundantly prepared. A fleet of
junlis was built, and all the resources of the empire
were employed. Japan, though it had waged no
wars abroad, had amply learned the art of war from
its frequent hostilities at home, and was well provided
with brave soldiers and skilful generals. The khan
was not likely to find its conquest an easy task.
While the islanders were thus busy, their foes
were as actively engaged. The proud emperor had
made up his mind to crush this little realm that so
insolently defied his power. A great fleet was madeready, containing thirty-five hundred vessels in all,
in which embarked an array of one hundred thou-
sand Chinese and Tartars and seven thousand Co-
rean troops. It was the seventh month of the year
1281 when the expectant sentinels of Japan caught
the glint of the sun's rays on the far-off throng of
sails, which whitened the seas as they came on with
streaming banners and the warlike clang of brass
and steel.
The army of Japan, which lay encamped on the
hills back of the fortified city of Daizaifu, in the
island of Kiushiu, and gathered in ranks along the
adjoining coast, gazed with curiosity and dread on
this mighty fleet, far the largest they had ever seen.
Many of the vessels were of enormous size, as it
seemed to their unaccustomed eyes, and were armedwith engines of war such as they had never before
beheld. The light boats of the Japanese had httle
hope of success against these huge junks, and manyof those that ventured from shelter were sunk by
THE TARTAR INVASION OP JAPAN. G9
the darts and stones flung from the Mongol catapults.
The enemy could not be matched upon the sea : it
remained to prevent him from setting foot upon
shore.
Yet the courage and daring of the island warriors
could not be restrained. A party of thirty swamout and boarded a junk, where their keen-edged
swords proved more than a match for the Tartar
bows and spears, so that they returned with the
heads of the crew. A second party tried to repeat
a like adventure, but the Tartars were now on the
alert and killed them all. One captain, with a
picked crew, steered out in broad daylight to a
Chinese junk, heedless of a shower of darts, one of
which took off his arm. In a minute more he and
his men were on the deck and were driving back the
crew in a fierce hand-to-hand encounter. Before
other vessels of the fleet could come up, they had
fired the captured junk and were off again, bearing
with them twenty-one heads of the foe.
To prevent such attacks all advanced boats were
withdrawn and the fleet was linked together with
iron chains, while with catapults and great bows
heavy darts and stones were showered on approach-
ing Japanese boats, sinking many of them and de-
stroying their crews. But all eflbrtsof the Tartars
to land were bravely repulsed, and such detachments
as reached the shore were driven into the sea before
they could prepare for defence, over two thousand
of the enemy falling in these preliminary attempts.
With the utmost haste a long line of fortifications,
consisting of earthworks and palisades, had been
70 HISTORICAL TALES.
thrown up for miles along the shore, and behind
these defences the island soldiers defied their foes.
Among the defenders was a captain, Michiari by-
name, whose hatred of the Mongols led him to a
deed of the most desperate daring. Springing over
the breastworks, he defied the barbarians to mortal
combat. Then, filling two boats with others as
daring as himself, he pushed out to the fleet.
Both sides looked on in amazement. " Is the manmad?" said the Japanese. "Are those two little
boats coming to attack our whole fleet ?" asked the
Mongols. " They must be deserters, who are coming
to surrender."
Under this supposition the boats were permitted
to approach unharmed, their course being directed
towards a large Tartar junk. A near approach be-
ing thus made, grappling-irons were flung out, and
in a minute more the daring assailants were leaping
on board the junk.
Taken by surprise, the Tartars were driven back,
the two handed keen-edged swords of the assailants
making havoc in their ranks. The crew made what
defence ihej could, but the sudden and unlooked-for
assault had put them at disadvantage, and before the
adjoining ships could come to their aid the junk wasin flames and the boats of the victors had put off"
for land. With them as prisoner they carried one
of the highest officers in the invading fleet.
Yet these skirmishes did little in reducing the
strength of the foe, and had not the elements cometo the aid of Japan the issue of the aff'air mighthave been serious for the island empire. While the
THE TARTAR INVASION OF JAPAN. 71
soldiers were fighting the priests were praying, and
the mikado sent a priestly messenger to the shrines
at Ise, bearing his petition to the gods. It was noon-
day, and the sky perfectly clear, when he offered the
prayer, but immediately afterwards a broad streak
of cloud rose on the horizon, and soon the sky was
overcast with dense and rolling masses, portending a
frightful storm.
It was one of the typhoons that annually visit that
coast and against whose appalling fmy none but the
strongest ships can stand. It fell with all its force
on the Chinese fleet, lifting the junks like straws on
the great waves which suddenly arose, tossing themtogether, hurling some upon the shore, and forcing
others bodily beneath the sea. Hundreds of the light
craft were sunk, and corpses were heaped on the
shore in multitudes. Many of the vessels were
driven to sea, few or none of which ever reached
land. Many others were wrecked upon Taka Island.
Here the survivors, after the storm subsided, began
cutting down trees and building boats, in the hope
of reaching Corea. But thej' were attacked b}' the
Japanese with such fury that all were slain but
three, whose lives were spai'ed that they might bear
back the news to their emperor and tell him howthe gods had fought for Japan.
The lesson was an effective one. The Chinese
have never since attempted the conquest of Jajian,
and it is the boast of the people of that country
that no invading array has ever set foot upon their
shores. Six centuries afterwards the case was to be
reversed and a Japanese army to land on Chinese soil.
72 HISTORICAL TALES.
Great praise was given to the Hojo then in control
at Kamakura for his energy and valor in repelling the
invaders. But the chief honor was paid to the gods
enshrined at Ise, who were thenceforward adored as
the guardians of the winds and the seas. To this
day the invasion of the Mongols is vividly remem-
bered in Kiushiu, and the mother there hushes her
fretful babe with the question, " Little one, why do
you cry? Do you think the Mogu are coming?"
It may be well here to say that the stor}- of this
invasion is told by Marco Polo, who was at the court
of Kublai Khan, the Mongol conqueror of China, at
the time it took place, and that his tale differs in
many respects from that of the Japanese historians.
Each party is apparently making the best of its side
of the affair.
According to Marco Polo's account, the failure of
the expedition was due to jealousy between the two
oflScers in command. He states that one Japanese
fortification was taken and all within put to the
sword, except two, whose flesh was charmed against
the swoi'd and who could be killed only by being
beaten to death with great clubs. As for those whoreached Taka Island, they contrived by strategy to
gain possession of the boats of the assailing Japanese,
by whose aid, and that of the flags which the boats
flew, they captured the chief city of Japan. Here for
six months they were closely besieged, and finally
surrendered on condition that their lives should be
spared.
NOBUNAGA AND THE FALL OFTHE BUDDHISTS.
For more than two centuries the Ashikaga lorded
it over Japan, as the Hojo had done before them, and
the mikados were tools in their strong hands. Thenarose a man who overthrew this powerful clan. This
man, Nobunaga by name, was a descendant of Kiyo-
mori, the great leader of the Taira clan, his direct
ancestor being one of the few who escaped from the
great Minamoto massacre.
The father of this Taira chief was a soldier whose
valor had won him a large estate. Nobunaga added
to it, built himself a strong castle, and became the
friend and patron of the last of the Ashikaga, whomhe made shogun. (The Ashikaga were descendants
of the Minamoto, who alone had hereditary claim to
this high office.) But Nobunaga remained the power
behind the throne, and, a quarrel arising between
him and the shogun, he deposed the latter, and be-
came himself the ruler of Japan. After two hundred
and thirty-eight years of dominion the lordship of
the Ashikaga thus came to an end.
Of this great Japanese leader we are told, " lie
was a prince of large stature, but of weak and deli-
cate complexion, with a heart and soul that supplied
all other wants ;ambitious above all mankind ; brave,
generous, and bold, and not without many excellent
73
74 HISTORICAL TALES.
moral virtues; inclined to justice, and an enemy to
treason. With a quick and penetrating wit, he
seemed cut out for business. Excelling in military
discipline, he was esteemed the fittest to commandan army, manage a siege, fortify a town, or mark
out a camp of any general in Japan, never using any
head but his own. If he asked advice, it was more
to know their hearts than to profit by their advice.
He sought to see into others and to conceal his owncounsel, being very secret in his designs. He laughed
at the worship of the gods, being convinced that the
bonzes were impostors abusing the simplicity of the
people and screening their own debauches under the
name of religion."
Such was the man who by genius and strength of
will now rose to the head of afiairs. Not being
of the Minamoto family, he did not seek to makehimself shogun, and for forty j-ears this oflSce ceased
to exist. He ruled in the name of the mikado, but
held all the power of the realm.
The good fortune of Nobunaga lay largely in his
wise choice of men. Under him were four generals,
so admirable yet so diverse in military ability that
the people gave them the distinctive nicknames of
" Cotton," " Eice," " Attack," and '• Eetreat." Cotton,
which can be put to a multitude of uses, indicated
the fertility in resources of the first; while the second
made himself as necessary as rice, which people can-
not live a day without. The strength of the third
lu}^ in the boldness of his attacks ; of the fourth, in
the skill of his retreats. Of these four, the first,
named Hideyoshi, rose to great fame. A fifth was
NOBUNAGA AND THE FALL OF THE BUDDHISTS. <0
afterwards added, Tokugawa lyeyasu, also a famous
name in Japan.
It was through his dealings with the Buddhists
that Nobunaga made himself best known in history.
He had lived among them in his early years, and
had learned to hate and despise them. Having been
educated in the Shinto faith, the ancient religion of
Japan, he looked on the priests of Buddhism as
enemies to the true faith. The destruction of these
powerful sectaries was, therefore, one of the great
purposes of his life.
Nobunaga had other reasons than these for de-
stroying the power of the bonzes. During the long
])eriod of the Ashikagas these cunning ecclesiastics
had risen to great power. Their monasteries had
become fortresses, with moats and strong stone walls.
Internally these were like arsenals, and an armycould readily be equipped from them with weapons,
while many of the priests were daring leaders.
During the civil wars they served the side that
]u-omised them the most spoil or power. Eivals
among them often fought battles of their own, in
which hundreds were killed and towns and temples
burned. So great were their authority, their inso-
lence, and their licentiousness that their existence had
l)ecome an evil in the land, and Nobunaga determined
to teach them a lesson they would not soon forget.
Of the monasteries, the most extensive was that
of Iliyeizan, on Lake Biwa. Within its territory
lay thirteen valleys and more than five hundred
temples, shrines, and dwellings, the grounds of which
were adorned in the highest style of landscape art.
7G HISTORICAL TALES.
The monks here were numbered by thousands, with
whom religious service was a gorgeous ceremonial
mockery, and who revelled in luxury, feasted on
forbidden viands, drank to inebriety, and indulged
in every form of licentiousness. They used their
influence in rousing the clans to war, from which
they hoped to draw new spoils for their unrighteous
enjoyments, while screening themselves from danger
behind the cloak of the priesthood.
It was against this monastery that the wrath of
Nobunaga was most strongly aroused. Marching
against it in 1571, he bade his generals set it on
fire. The oflSeers stood aghast at the order, which
seemed to them likelj' to call down the vengeance of
Heaven upon their heads. With earnest protests
they begged him not to do so unholy an act.
" Since this monastery was built, now nearly a
thousand years ago," they said, " it has been vigilant
against the power of the spirits of evil. No one has
dared in all that time to lift a hand against these
holy buildings. Can you design to do so?"
" Yes," answei-ed Nobunaga, sternly. " I have put
down the villains that distracted the country", and I
intend to bring peace upon the land and restore the
power of the mikado. The bonzes have opposed myefforts and aided my enemies. I sent them a mes-
senger and gave them the chance to act with loyalty,
but they failed to listen to my woi'ds, and resisted
the army of the emperor, aiding the wicked robbers.
Does not this make them thieves and villains? If I
let them now escape, this trouble will continue for-
ever, and I have allowed them to remain on this
NOBUNAGA AND THE FALL OF THE BUDDHISTS. 77
mountain only that I might destroy them. That is
not all I have heard that these priests fail to keep
their own rules. They eat fish and the strong-smell-
ing vegetables which Buddha prohibited. They keep
concubines, and do not even read the sacred books
of their faith. How can such as these put downevil and preserve holiness? It is my commandthat 3'ou surround and burn their dwellings and see
that none of them escape alive."
Thus bidden, the generals obeyed. The grounds
of the monastery were surrounded, and on the next
day the temples and shrines were set on fire and the
soldiers remorselessly cut down all they met. Thescene of massacre and conflagration that ensued was
awful to behold. None were spared, neither youngnor old, man, woman, nor child. The sword and
spear were wislded without mercy, and when the
butchery ended not a soul of the multitude of in-
mates was left alive.
One more great centre of Buddhism remained to
be dealt with, that of the monastery and temple of
Tlouguatjji, whose inmates had for years hated No-
bunaga and sided with his foes, while they madetheir stronghold the hiding-place of his enemies.
Finally, when some of his favorite captains had been
killed b}' lurking foes, who fled from pursuit into
the monastery, he determined to deal with this
haunt of evil as he had dealt with Hiyeizan.
But this place was not to bo so easily taken. It
was strongly fortified, and could be captured only by
siege. Within the five fortresses of which it was
composed were many thousands of priests and war-
78 HISTORICAL TALES.
riors, women and children, and a still more frightful
massacre than that of Hiyeizan was threatened.
The place was so closely surrounded that all escape
seemed cut off, but under cover of the darkness of
night and amid a fierce storm several thousand of
the people made their way from one of the forts.
They failed, however, in their attempt, being pur-
sued, overtaken, and slaughtered. Soon after a
junk laden with human ears and noses came close
under the walls of the castle, that the inmates might
learn the fate of their late friends.
Vigorously the siege went on. A sortie of the
garrison was repelled, but a number of Nobunaga's
best officers were killed. After some two months
of effort, three of the five fortresses were in the
assailants' hands, and many thousands of the gar-
rison had fallen or perished in the flames, the odor
of decaying bodies threatening to spread pestilence
through camp and castle alike.
In this perilous condition of affairs the mikado
sent a number of his high officials to persuade the
garrison to yield. A conference was held and a sur-
render agreed upon. The survivors were permitted
to make their way to other monasteries of their
sect, and Nobunaga occupied the castle, which is still
held by the government. These two great blows
brought the power of the bonzes, for that age, to an
end. In later j^ears some trouble was made by them,
but Nobunaga had done his work so thoroughly
that there was little difficulty in keeping them under
control.
There remains only to tell the story of this great
NOBUNAGA AND THE FALL OF THE BUDDHISTS. 79
captain's end. lie died at Kioto, the victim of trea-
son. Among his captains was one named AUechi, a
brave man, but proud. One day, in a moment of
merriment, Nobunaga put the head of the captain
under his arm and played on it with his fan, saying
that he would make a drum of it. This jjlcasantry
was not to the taste of the haughty captain, whonursed a desire for revenge,—behind which perhaps
lay a wish to seize the power of the chief
The traitor did not have long to wait. Nobunagahad sent most of his forces away to quell a rebellion,
keeping but a small garrison. With part of this
Akechi was ordered to Kiushiu, and left the city
with seeming intention to obey. But he had not
gone far when ho called his officers together, told
them of his purpose to kill Nobunaga, and promised
them rich booty for their assistance in the plot. Theofficers may have had reasons of their own for mu-
tiny, for they readily consented, and marched back
to the city they had just left.
Nobunaga resided in the temple of Ilounoji, ap-
parently without a guard, and to his surprise heard
the tread of man}' feet and the clash of armor with-
out. Opening a window to learn what this por-
tendL>(l, he was struck by an arrow fired from the
outer darkness. lie saw at once Avhat had occurred,
and that escape was impossible. There was but one
way for a hero to die. Setting fire to the temple, he
killed himself, and before many minutes the body of
the great warrior was a charred corpse in the ashes
of his funeral pile.
HOW A PEASANT BOY BECAMEPREMIER.
In the history of nations there have been manyinstances of a man descended from the lowest class
of the populace reaching the highest rank. Kings,
conquerors, emperors, have thus risen from the ranks
of peasants and laborers, and the crown has been
worn by men born to the beggar's lot. In the his-
tory of Japan, only one instance of this kind appears,
that of one born a peasant who supplanted the noble
families and became lord of the people and the
emperor alike. Such a man was Hideyoshi, the one
of Nobunaga's generals who bore the popular nick-
name of " Cotton," from his fertility of resources
and his varied utility to his chief
Born in 1536, the son of a peasant named Yasuke,
as a baby he had almost the face of a monkey, while
as a boy he displayed a monkey-like cunning, rest-
lessness, and activity. The usual occupations of the
sons of Japanese peasants, such as grass-cutting and
rice-weeding, were not to the taste of young Mon-
key-pine, as the villagers called him, and he spent
his time in the streets, a keen-witted and reckless
young truant, who feared and cared for no one, and
lived by his wits.
Fortune favored the little vagrant by bringing
him under the eyes of the great soldier Nobunaga,80
HOW A PEASANT BOY BECAME PREMIER. 81
who was attracted by his wizened, monkeyish face
and restless eyes and gave him occupation amonghis grooms. As he grew older his love of war be-
came pronounced, he took part in the numerous
civil turmoils in which his patron was engaged, and
manifested such courage and daring that Nobunagarapidly advanced him in rank, finally making him
one of his most trusted generals. Xo man was more
admired in the army for soldierly qualities than the
peasant leader, and the boldest warriors sought
service under his banner, which at first bore for
emblem a single gourd, but gained a new one after
each battle, until it displayed a thick cluster of
gourds. At the head of the army a golden model
of the original banner was borne, and wherever it
moved victory followed.
Such was the man who, after the murder of Nobu-
naga, marched in furious haste upon his assassin
and quenched the ambition of the latter in death.
The brief career of the murderer has given rise to a
Japanese proverb, "Akechi ruled three days." Theavenger of the slain regent was now at the head of
affairs. The mikado himself dared not oppose him,
for the military power of the empire lay within his
grasp. There was only one man who ventured to
resist his authority, and he for no long time.
This was a general named Shibata, who took the
field in defence of the claim of Nobutaka, a son of
the slain regent. He did not realize with whom he
had to deal. The peasant general was quickly in
the field at the head of his veteran army, defeated
Shibata at every encounter, and pursued him so hotly
6
82 HISTORICAL TALES.
tljat he fled for refuge to a fortified jilace now knownas Fukui. This stronghold Hideyoshi besieged, es-
tablishing his camp on the slope of a neighboring
mountain, from which he pushed his siege operations
BO vigorously that the fugitive gave up all hope of
escape.
In this dilemma Shibata took a resolution like
that of the Epicurean monarch of Assyria, the famed
Sardanapalus. He gave a grand feast in the palace,
to which all the captains and notables of his party
were invited, and at which all present danced and
made merry as though victor}- hung over their ban-
ners. Yet it was their funeral feast, to be followed
by a carnival of death.
In the midst of the banquet, Shibata, rising cup in
hand, said to his wife,
—
" We are men, and will die. You are a woman,
and have the right to live. Y'^ou may gain safe!}' by
leaving the castle, and are at liberty to marry again."
The brave woman, the sister of Xobunaga, was
too high in sp\r\t to accept this offer. Her eyes
filled with tears, she thanked her lord for his kind-
ness, but declared that the world held no other hus-
band for her, and that it was her sole wish to die
with hitn. Then, reciting a farewell stanza of poetry,
she calmly stood while her husband thrust his dirk
into her heart.
All the women and children present, nerved bythis brave example, welcomed the same fate, and
then the men committed hara-kiri, the Japanese
method of suicide, Shibata having first set fire to the
castle. Soon the flames curled upward round the
HOW A PEASANT ROY BECAME PREMIER. S3
dead and the dying, and the conqueror found nothing
but the ashes of a funeral pile upon which to hiy
hand.
Hideyoshi, all resistance to his rule being now at
an end, set himself to tranquillize and develop Japan,
lyeyasu, one of Xobunaga's favorite generals, became
his friend and married his sister; Mori, lord of the
West, came to the capital and became his vassal, and
no man in the empire dared question his power. His
enemies, proud nobles who were furious at having to
bend their haughty heads before a peasant, privately
called him Sava Kuan ja ("crowned monkey"), but
were wise enough not to be too open in their satire.
Their anger was especially aroused by the fact that
the mikado had conferred upon this parvenu the lofty
office of kuambaku, or prime minister of the empire,
a title which had never before been borne by any
one not a noble of the Fujiwara clan, for whom it
had been expressly reserved. He was also ennobled
under the family name of Toyotomi Hidej'oshi.
The new premier showed as great an activity in
the works of peace as he had shown in those of war,
putting his soldiers to woi'k to keep their minds em-
ployed. Kioto was improved by his orders, splendid
palaces being built, and the bed of the river Kamopaved with flat stones. Ozaka was greatly developed,
an immense fortress being built, the river widened
and deepened, and canals dug in great profusion,
over which were thrown more than a thousand
bridges. Various other cities were improved, great
towers and pagodas built, and public works erected
in many parts of the realm. In addition Hideyoshi
84 HISTORICAL TALES.
won popularity by his justice and mercy, pardoning
his opponents, though the rule had hitherto been to
put the adherents of opposite parties to death, and
showing no regard for rank, title, or service to him-
self in his oflScial duty as judge.
He had married a peasant girl while a peasant him-
self, but as he rose in rank he espoused new wives of
increasingly high station, his last being of princely
descent. In the end he had as many wives as the
much-married Henry VIII.. but not in the same
fashion, as he kept them all at once, instead of cutting
off the head of one to make room for the next.
Hideyoshi had one groat ambition, born in him
when a boy, and haunting him as a man. This wasto conquer Corea, and perhaps China as well. Hehad begged Nobunaga to aid him in this great de-
sign, but had only been laughed at for his pains.
Now that he was at the head of affairs, this plan
loomed up in large proportions in his mind. Corea
had long ceased to pay tribute, and Corean pirates
ravaged the coast. Here was an excuse for action.
As for China, he knew that anarchy ruled there, and
hoped to take advantage of this state of affairs.
Patting the back of a statue of Yoritomo in a
patronizing fashion, he humorousl}' said, " You are
my friend. You took all the power in Japan, a
thing which onl}- you and I have been able to do.
But you came from a noble family, and were not,
like me, the son of a peasant. I propose to outdo
you, and conquer all the earth, and even China.
What say you to that ?"
To test the feeling of the gods about his proposed
HOW A PEASANT BOY BECAME PREMIER. 85
expedition, he threw into the air before a shrine a
hundred "cash," or Jajjanese small coin, saying, to
translate his woi'ds into the American vernacular,
" If I am to conquer China, let these come up head."
They all came up " head," or what in Japan an-
swers to that word, and soldiers and ruler were alike
delighted, for this omen seemed surely to promise
success.
Nearly fourteen hundred years had elapsed since
the previous conquest of Corea by the famous empress
Jingu. Now an army said to have been five hundred
thousand strong was sent across the ocean channel
between Kiushiu and the Corean coast. Hideyoshi
was at this time sixty years of age and had growninfirm of body, so that he felt unable to commandthe expedition himself, which was therefore intrusted
to two of his ablest leaders, Kato, of noble birth,
and Konishi, the son of a druggist, who disgusted
his proud associate by representing on his banner a
paper medicine-bag, the sign of his fixther's shop.
Notwithstanding the ill feeling between the lead-
ers, the armies were everywhere victorious, Corea
was overrun and the king driven from his capital,
and the victors had entered into serious conflict with
the armies of China, when word came from Jaj)an
(in 1598) that Hideyoshi was dead. A truce was at
once concluded and the army ordered home.
Thus ended the second invasion of Corea, the
second of the events which gave rise to the claim in
Japan that Corea is a vassal state of the island em-
pire and were used as warrants to the nineteenth
century invasion.
THE FOUNDER OF YEDO ANDOF MODERN FEUDALISM.
The death of the peasant premier left lyeyasu,
the second in ability of Nobunaga's great generals,
as the rising power in Japan. Hidej'oshi, in the
hope of j)reserving the rule in his own family, had
married his son, a child of six, to lyeyasu's grand-
daughter, and appointed six ministers to act as his
guardians. He did not count, in cherishing this
illusory hope, on the strength of human ambition.
Nor did he give thought to the bitter disgust with
which the haughty lords and nobles had yielded to
the authority of one whom they regarded as an up-
start. The chances of the child's coming to power
were immeasurably small.
In truth, the death of the strong-willed premier
had thrown Japan open to anarchy. The leaders
who had returned from the Corean war, flushed with
victory, were ambitious for power, and the thou-
sands of soldiers under their command were eager
for war and spoils. Hidenobu, a nephew of Nobu-
naga, claimed the succession to his uncle's position.
The five military governors who had been appointed
by the late premier were suspicious of lyej'asu, and
took steps to prevent him from seizing the vacated
place. The elements of anarchy indeed were every-
86
FOU-NDER OF YEDO AND OF MODERN FEUDALISM. 87
where abroad, there was more than one aspirant to
the ruling power, and armies began to be raised.
lyeyasu keenly watched the movements of his
enemies. When he saw that troo])S were being re-
cruited, he did the same. Crimination and recrimi-
nation went on, skirmishes took place in the field,
the citadel of Ozaka was successively taken and re-
taken by the opposing parties, the splendid palace of
Ilideyoshi at Fushimi was given to the flames, and
at length the two armies came together to settle in
one great battle the fate of Japan.
The army of the league against lyeyasu had manyleaders, including the five governors, most of the gen-
erals of the Corean war, and the lords and vassals of
Ilideyoshi. Strong as it was, one hundred and eighty
thousand in all, it was moved by contrary purposes,
and unity of counsel was lacking among the chiefs.
The army of lyeyasu, while far weaker, had but one
leader, and was inspired by a single j)urpose.
On the 1st of October, 1600, the march began,
over the great highway known as the Tokaido.
The white banner of lyeyasu was embroidered with
hollyhocks, his standard a golden fan. " The road
to the west is shut," prophesied the diviners. " ThenI shall knock till it opens," the bold leader replied.
As they marched onward, a persimmon (ogakl in
Japanese) was offered him. lie opened his hand to
receive it, saying, as it fell into his palm, " Ogaki has
fallen into my hand." (The significance of this re-
mark lies in the fact that the camp of the league lay
around the castle of Ogaki).
Learning of the near approach of lyeyasu's force.
88 HISTORICAL TALES.
the opposing army broke camp and marched to meet
him through a sharp rain that wet them to the skin.
Their chosen field of battle, Sekigahara ("plain of
the barrier") by name, is in Omi, near Lake Biwa.
It is an expanse of open, rolling ground, bisected by
one of the main roads between Tokio and Kioto
and crossed by a road from Echizen. On this spot
was to be fought one of the greatest battles Japan
had ever known, whose result was destined to settle
the fate of the empire for two hundred and fifty
years.
In the early morning of the eventful day one of
the pickets of lyeyasu's host brought word that the
arm}'- of the league was in full march from the castle
of Ogaki. This important news was soon confirmed
by others, and the general joyfully cried, "The enemyhas indeed fallen into my hand." Throwing aside his
helmet, he knotted a handkerchief over his forehead,
saying that this was all the protection he should
need in the coming battle.
His army was seventy-five thousand strong. That
opposed to him exceeded his in strength by more
than fifty thousand men. But neither as yet knewwhat they had to encounter, for a fog lay heavy on
the plain, and the two armies, drawn up in battle
array, were invisible to each other. To prevent
surprise, lyeyasu sent in front of his army a body
of guards bearing white flags, to give quick warning
of an advance.
At length, at eight o'clock, the fog rose and drifted
away, revealing the embattled hosts. Hardl}- hadit vanished befure the drums beat their battle peal
FOUNDER OF YEDO AND OF MODERN FEUDALISM. 89
and the martial conchs sounded defiance, while a
shower of arrows from each army hurtled through
the opposing ranks. In a short time the impatient
warriors met in mid field, and sword and spear began
their deadly work.
The great weight of the array of the league at
first gave it the advantage, and for hours the result
was in doubt, though a corps of the league forces
deserted to the ranks of lyeyasu. At length unity
and disci])line began to prevail, the intrepidity of
lyeyasu and his skill in taking advantage of every
error of his enemy giving confidence to his men.
By noon they were bearing back the foe. Ordering
up the reserves, and bidding the drummers and
conch-blowers to sound their most inspiriting appeal,
lyeyasu gave order for the whole army to charge.
Before the impetuous onset that followed, the
enemy wavered, broke, and fled, followed in hot
pursuit by the victorious host. And now a frightful
scene began. Thousands of heads of the flying
were cut off by the keen-edged blades of their pur-
suers. Most of the wounded and many of the un-
hurt killed themselves upon the field, in obedience to
the exaggerated Japanese sense of honor. The de-
feat became a butchery. In Japanese battles of the
past quarter was a mercy rarely craved or granted,
and decapitation the usual mode of death when the
sword could be brought into play, so that the tri-
umph of the victors was usually indicated b}' the
dimensions of the ghastly heap of heads. In this
friglitful conflict the claim was made by the victors
(doubtless an exaggeration) that they had taken
90 HISTORICAL TALES.
forly thousand heads of the foe, while their own loss
was only four thousand. However that be, a great
mound of heads was made, one of many such evi-
dences of slaughter which may still be seen in
Japan.
Throughout the battle a knotted handkerchief
was the only defence of lyeyasu's head. The vic-
tory won, he called for his helmet, which he put on,
carefully tying the strings. As all looked on with
surprise at this strange action, he, with a smile,
repeated to them an old Japanese proverb, " After
victory, knot the cords of your helmet."
It was a suggestion of vigilance wisely given and
alertly acted upon. The strongholds of the league
were invested without delay, and one by one fell into
the victors' hands. The fragments of the beaten
army were followed and dispersed. Soon all oppo-
sition was at an end, and lyeyasu was lord and
master of Japan.
The story of the victor in the most decisive vic-
tory Japan had ever known, one that was followed
by two and a half centuries of peace, needs to com-
plete it a recital of two important events, one being
the founding of Yedo, the great eastern capital, the
other the organization of the system of feudalism.
For ages the country around the Bay of Yedo,
now the chief centre of activity and civilization in
Japan, was wild and thinlj' peopled. The first men-
tion of it in history is in the famous march of Ya-
mato-Dake, whose wife leaped here into the waves
as a sacrifice to the maritime gods. In the fifteenth
century a small castle was built on the site of the
FOUNDER OP YEDO AND OF MODERN FEUDALISM. 01
present city, while near it on the Tokaida, the great
highway between the two ancient capitals, stood a
small village, whose chief use was for the refresh-
ment and ansistance of travellers.
Ota Dagnan, the lord of the castle, was a warrior
of fame, whose deeds have gained him a place in the
song and story of Japan. Of the tales told of himthere is one whose poetic significance has given it a
fixed place in the legendary lore of the land. Oneday, when the commandant was amusing himself in
tlie sport of hawking, a shower of rain fell suddenly
and heavily, forcing him to stop at a house near byaiid i-equest the loan of a grass rain-coat,—a mino, to
give it its Japanese name.
A young and very pretty girl came to the door at
his summons, listened to his polite request, and stood
for a moment blushing and confused. Then, running
into the garden, she plucked a flower, handed it with
a mischievous air to the warrior, and disappeared
within the house. Ota, angrily flinging down the
flower, turned away, after an impulse to force his
way into the house and help himself to the coat.
He returned to the castle wet and fuming at the
slight to his rank and dignity.
Soon after he related the incident to some court
nobles from Kioto, who had stopped at the castle,
and who, to his surprise, did not share his indigna-
tion at the act.-
*' Wh}-, the incident was delightful," said 0!ie
among them who was specially versed in poetic lore;
"who would have looked for such wit and such
knowledge of our classic poetry in a young girl in
92 HISTORICAL TALES.
this uncultivated spot? The trouble is, friend Ota,
that you are not learned enough to lake the maiden's
meaning."
" I take it that she meant to laugh at a soaked
fowler," growled the warrior.
" Not 80. It was only a graceful way of telling
you that she had no mino to loan. She was too shy
to say no to your request, and so handed you a
mountain camellia. Centuries ago one of our poets
sang of this flower, ' Although it has seven or eight
petals, yet, I grieve to say, it has no seed' (jnind).
The cunning little witch has managed to say ' no'
to you in the most graceful way imaginable."
Here, where the castle stood, lyeyasu started to
build a city, at the suggestion of his superior Hide-
yoshi. Thus began the great city of Yedo,—nowTokio, the eastern capital of Japan. In 1600, lye-
yasu, then at the head of affairs, pushed the work on
his new city with energy, employing no less than
three hundred thousand men. The castle was en-
larged, canals were excavated, streets laid out and
graded, marshes filled, and numerous buildings
erected, fleets of junks bringing granite for the
citadel, while the neighboring forests furnished the
timber for the dwellings.
An outer ditch was dug on a grand scale, and
gates and towers were built with no walls to join
them and no dwellings within many furlongs of
their site. But to those who luuglied at the mag-nificent plan on which the young city had been laid
out, the founder declared that the coming time would
see his walls built and the dwellings of the city
FOUNDER OF YEDO AND OF MODERN FET'DALIS-M. 93
ptretchiug far beyond them. Before a century bis
words were verified, and Yedo had a population of
half a million souls. To-day it is the home of morethan a million people.
It is for bis political genius that Ij-eyasu partic-
ularly deserves fame. Once more, in 1615, he wasforced to fight for his supremacy, against the son of
the late premier. A bloody battle followed, ending
in victory for lyeyasu and the burning of the castle
of Ozaka, in whose flames the aspirant for powerprobably met bis doom. No other battle was fought
on the soil of Japan for two hundred and fifty-three
years.
lyeyasu had the blood of the Minamoto clan in
his veins. He bad therefore an hereditary claim to
the shogunate, as successor to the great Yoritomo,
the founder of the family and the first to bear the
title of Great Shogun. This title, Sei-i Tai Shogun,
was now conferred by the mikado on the new mili-
tary chief, and was borne by his descendants, the
Tokugawa family, until the great revolution of 1868,
when the mikado again seized bis long-lost authority.
Before this period, civil war had for centuries
desolated Japan. After 1615 war ceased in that
long distracted land and peace and jorosperity pre-
vailed. What were the steps taken by the newshogun to insure this happy result ? It arose
through the establishment of a well defined system
of feudalism, and the bringing of the feudal lords
under the immediate control of the shogun.
Japan was already organized on a semi- feudal
system. The land was divided between the great
94 HISTORICAL TALES.
lords or dnimios, who possessed strong castles and
large landed estates, with a powerful armed follow-
ing, and into whose treasuries much of the revenue
of the kingdom flowed. These powerful princes of
the realm were conciliated by the conqueror. Under
them were daimios of smaller estate, many of whomhad joined him in his career; and lower still a large
number of minor military holders, whose grants of
land enabled them to bring small bodies of followers
into the field.
lyeyasu's plan was one of conciliation and the pre-
vention of hostile union. He laid his plans and left
it to time to do his work. Some of the richest fiefs
of the empire were conferred upon his sons, whofounded several of its most powerful families. The
possessions of the other lords were redistributed, the
land being divided up among them in a way to pre-
vent rebellious concentration, vassals and adherents
of his own being placed between any two neighbor-
ing lords whose loyally was in doubt. To prevent
ambitious lords from seizing Kioto and making
prisoner the mikado, as had frequently been done in
the past, he surrounded it on all sides with strong
domains ruled by his sons or friends. When his
work of redistribution was finished, his friends and
vassals eveiywhere lay between the realms of doubt-
ful daimios. A hostile movement in force had been
rendered nearly impossible.
Below the daimios came the hatamoto, oi* sup-
porters of the flag, direct vassals of the shogun, of
whom there were eighty thousand in Japan, mostly
descendants of proved warriors and with a train of
FOUiNDER OF YEDO AND OF MODERN FEIDALISM. 05
from three to thirty retainers each. These were
scattered throughout the empire, but the majority
of them lived in Yedo. They formed the direct
military dependence of the shogun, and held most
of the military and civil positions. Under themagain were the gokenin, the humbler members of the
Togukawa clan, and hereditary followers of the
shogun. All these formed the scnnurai, the menprivileged to wear two swords and exempted from
taxes. Their number and readiness gave the shogun
complete military control of the empire, and madehim master of all it held, from mikado to peasant.
Such was the method adopted by the great states-
man to insure peace to the empire and to keep the
power within the grasp of his own family. In both
re^^pects it proved successful. A second important
step was taken b}' Tycmitsu, his grandson, and after
him the ablest of the family. By this time many of
the noted warriors among the daimios were dead,
and their sons, enervated by peace and luxury, could
be dealt with more vigorously than would have been
safe to do with their fathers.
Ij-emitsu suggested that all the daimios should
make Yedo their place of residence for half the year.
At first they were treated as guests, the shogun
meeting them in the suburbs and dealing with them
with great consideration. But as the years went on
tlie daimios became more and more like prisoners on
parole. They were obliged to paj' tribute of respect
to the shogun in a manner equivalent to doing
homage. Though they could return at intervals to
their estates, their wives and children were kept in
96 HISTORICAL TALES.
Yedo as hostages for their good behavior. Whenlycmitsu died, the shoguns had cemented their power
beyond dispute. The mikados, nominal emperors,
were at their beck and call ; the daimios were virtual
prisoners of state; the whole military power and
revenues of the empire were under their control;
conspiracy and attempted rebellion could be crushed
by a wave of their hands; peace ruled in Japan.
lyemitsu was the first to whom the title of Tai
Kun (Tycoon), or Great King, was ever applied. It
was in a letter written to Corea, intended to influ-
ence foreigners. It was employed in a larger sense
for the same purpose at a later date, as we shall
hereafter see. Suffice it here to say that the Toku-
gawas remained the rulers of Japan until 1868, whena new move in the game of empire was made.
THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIAN-ITY IN JAPAN.
The fact that such a realm as that of Japan existed
remained unknown in Europe until about six cen-
turies ago, when Marco Polo, in his famous record
of travel and adventure, first spoke of it. He knewof it, however, only by Chinese hearsay, and the
story he told contained far more of fable than of
fact. The Chinese at that time seem to have had
little knowledge of their nearest civilized neigh-
bor.
" Zipangu"—the name he gives it—is, he says, " an
island in the Eastern Ocean, about fifteen hundi'ed
miles [Chinese miles] from the mainland. Its people
are well made, of fair complexion, and civilized in
manner, but idolaters in religion." He continues,
" They have gold in the greatest abundance, its
sources being inexhaustible. To this circumstance
we are to attribute the extraordinary richness of the
sovereign's palace according to what we are told bythose who have access to the place. The entire roof
is covered with a plating of gold, in the same man-
ner as we cover houses, or more properly churches,
with lead. The ceilings of the halls are of the same
precious metal ; many of the apartments have small
tables of pure gold, of considerable thickness; and
the windows have also golden ornaments. So vast,
7 97
DS HISTORICAL TALES.
indeed, arc the riches of the palace that it is impos-
sible to convey an idea of them. In this island there
are pearls also, in large quantities, of a pink color,
round in shape and of great size, equal in value to,
or even exceeding, that of the white pearls. There
are also found there a number of precious stones."
This story is as remote from truth as some of
those told by Sindbad the Sailor. Polo, no doubt,
thought he was telling the truth, and knew that this
cascade of gold and pearls would be to the taste of
his readers, but anything more unlike the plainness
and simplicity of the actual palace of the mikado it
would be hard to find.
For the next European knowledge of Japan wemust step forward to the year 1542. Columbus
had discovered America, and Portugal had found an
ocean highway to the spice islands of the East. APortuguese adventurer, Mendez Pinto by name, ven-
tured as far as China, then almost unknown, and,
with two companions, found himself on board a
Chinese junk, half trader, half pirate.
In a sea-fight with another corsair their pilot waskilled, and soon after a fierce storm blew them far
off shore. Seeking to make the Loochoo Islands,
they lost them through lack of a pilot, and were
tossed about at the ocean's will for twenty-three
daj'^8, when they made harbor on Tane, a small island
of Japan Ij'ing south of Kiushiu. Pinto, after his
return to Europe, told so many marvellous stories
about Japan that people doubted him as much as
they had doubted Marco Polo. His very name, ^len-
doz, was extended into " mendacious." Yet time has
THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN. 99
done justice to both these old travellers, who eiihrr
told, or tried to tell, the truth.
The Portuguese travellers were well received by
the islanders,—who knew not yet what firebrands
they were welcominf^. It took a century for Euro-
peans to disgu.st the Japanese so thoroughly as to
force the islanders to drive them from the land and
put up the bars against their return. What in-
terested the Japanese even more than their visitors
were the new and strange weapons they bore. Pinto
and his two comrades were armed with arquebuses,
warlike inijjlcments such as they had never before
seen, and whose powers filled them with astonishment
and delight. It was the era of civil war in Japan,
and the possession of a new and deadly weapon was
eagerly welcomed by that martial people, who saw
in it visions of speedy success over their enemies.
Pinto was invited to the castle of the daimio of
Bungo, whom he taught the arts of making guns
and gunpowder. The Japanese, alert at taking ad-
vantage of the discoveries of other people, were
quick to manufacture powder and guns for them-
selves, and in the wars told of in our last few tales
native cannon were brought into use, though the
razor-edged sword continued the most death-dealing
of their weapons.
As for the piratical trader which conveyed Pinto
to Japan, it sold its cargo at an immense profit, while
the three Portuguese reached China again rich in
presents. This was not Pinto's only visit to Japan.
He made three other voyages thither, the last in
1556, as ambassador from the Portuguese viceroy
100 niSTOlUCAL TALES.
in tlio East. On this occasion he learned that the
ishinders had made rapid progress in their new-
art of gun-making, they claiming to have thirty
thousand guns in Fucheo, the capital of Bungo, and
ten times that number in the whole land of Japan.
The new market for European wares, opened by
the visit of Pinto, was quickly taken advantage of
by his countrymen, and Portuguese traders madetheir way by hundreds to Japan, where they met
with the best of treatment. Guns and powder were
especially welcome, as at that time the power of the
Asliikaga clan was at an end, anarchy everywhere
prevailed, and every local chief was in arms to win
all ho could from the ruins of the state. Such wasthe first visit of Europeans to Japan, and such the
gift they brought, the fatal one of gunpowder.
The next gift of Europe to Japan was that of the
Christian faith. On Pinto's return to Malacca he
met there the celebrated Francis Xavier, the father
suj^erior of the order of the Jesuits in India, wherehe had gained the highest reputation for sanctity andthe power of working miracles. With the traveller
was a Japanese named Anjiro, whom he had rescued
from enemies that sought his death, and converted
to Christianity. Xavier asked him whether the Jap-
anese would be likely to accept the religion of the
Christians.
"M)' people will not be ready to accept at oncewhat may be told them," said Anjiro, " but will ask
you a multitude of questions, and, above all, will see
whether your conduct agrees with your words. If
they are satisfied, the king, the nobles, and the people
THE PKOGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN. 101
will flock to Christ, since they constitute a nation
that always accepts reason as a guide."
Thus encouraged, Xavier, whose enthusiasm in
spreading the gospel was deterred by no obstacle, set
sail in 1549 for Japan, accompanied by two priests
and Anjiro, the latter with a comi^anion who had es-
caped with him in his flight from Japan.
The missionary party landed at Kagoshima, in
Satsuma. Here they had little success, only the
family and relatives of Anjiro accepting the new
faith, and Xavier set out on a tour through the land,
his goal being Kioto, the mikado's capital. Landing
at Amanguchi, he presented himself before the people
barefooted and meanly- dressed, the result of his con-
fessed poverty being that, instead of listening to his
words, the populace hooted and stoned him and his
followers. At Kioto he was little better received.
Finding that a display of poverty was not the wayto impress the Japanese, the missionary returned to
the city of Kioto richly clothed and bearing presents
and letters from the Portuguese viceroy to the em-
peror. He was now well received and given per-
mission to preach, and in less than a year had wonover three thousand converts to the Christian faith.
Naturally, on reaching Kioto, he had looked for
the splendor spoken of by Marco Polo, the roof
and ceilings of gold and the golden tables of the
emperor's palace. He was sadly disenchanted on
entering a city so desolated by fire and war that it
was little more than a camp, and on beliolding the
plainest and least showy of all the palaces of the
earth.
102 HISTORICAL TALES.
Returning to the port of Fucheo for the purpose
of enibarlcing for India, whence he designed to bring
new laborer8 to the virgin field, Xavier preached
with such success as to alarm the Buddhist bonzes,
who made futile efforts to excite the populace against
him as a vagabond and an enchanter. lie returned
no more to Japan, dying during the year after his
return to India. But he had planted the seeds of
what was destined to yield a great and noble harvest.
In fact, the progress of Christianity in Japan was
of the most encouraging kind. Other missionaries
quickly followed the great Jesuit pioneer, and
preached the gospel Avith surprising success. In
less than five years after the visit of Xavier to
Kioto that city possessed seven Christian churches,
while there were many others in the southwest
section of the empire. In 1581, thirty years after
Xavier's death, there were in Japan two hundred
churches, while the number of converts is given at
one hundred and fifty thousand. Several of the
daimios were converted to the new faith, and No-
bunaga, who hated and strove to exterminate the
Buddhists, received the Christians with the greatest
favor, gave them desirable sites for their churches,
and sought to set them up as a foil to the arrogance
of the bonzes.
The Christian daimios went so far as to send a
delegation to the pope at Rome, which returned eight
years afterwards with seventeen Jesuit missionaries,
while a multitude of mendicant friars from the
Philippine Islands and elsewhere sought the newfield of labor, preaching with the greatest zeal and
THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN. 103
success. It is claimed that at the cuhniuating point
of proselytism in Japan the native Christians num-
bered no less than six hundred thousand, amongthem being several princes, and many lords, high
officials, generals, and other military and naval offi-
cers, with numerous women of noble blood. In
some provinces the Christian shrines and crosses
were as numerous as the Buddhist shrines had been
before, while there were thousands of churches,
chapels, and ecclesiastical edifices.
This remarkable success, unprecedented in the his-
tory of Christian missionary work, was due in great
measure to certain conditions then existing in Japan.
When Xavier and his successors reached Japan, it
was to find the people of that countr}- in a state of
the greatest misery, the result of a long era of an-
archy and misrule. Of the native religions, Shintoism
had in great measure vanished, while Buddhism,
though affecting the imaginations of the people by
the gorgeousness of its service, had little with which
to reach their hearts.
Christianity came with a ceremonial more splendid
than that of Buddhism, and an eloquence that capti-
vated the imaginations of the Japanese. Instead of
the longseriesof miseries of Buddhist transmigration,
it promised immediate entrance to the glories of
heaven after death, a doctrine intensely attractive
to those who had little to hope for but misery during
life. The story of the life and death of Christ
strongly impressed the minds of the people, as com-
pared with the colder story of Buddha's career,
while the great similarity between the modes of
104 HISTORICAL TALES.
worwhip of the two religions proved of the greatest
assistance to the advocates of the new creed. The
native temples were made to serve as Christian
churches; the images of Buddha and his saints
were converted into those of Christ and the apos-
tles; the organization of the two religions was
closely similar, and nearly everything distinctive of
Buddhist had its counterpart in the Eoman Catholic
ceremonial.
One of the methods pursued in the propagation of
Christianity had never been adopted by the Buddh-
ists, that of persecution of alien faiths. The spirit
of the Inquisition, then active in Europe, was brought
to Japan. The missionaries attacked the character
of their opponents, and instigated their converts to
destroy the idols and desecrate the old shrines.
Gold was used freely as an agent in conversion, and
the Christian daimios compelled their subjects to fol-
low them in accepting the new faith. In whole dis-
tricts the j)eople were ordered to accept Christian-
it}^ or to exile themselves from their homes. Exile
or death was the fate of many of the bonzes, and
fire and the sword lent effect to preaching in the
propagation of the doctrine of Christianity.
To quote a single instance, from Charlevoix's
"History of the Christianizing of Japan," "In
1577 the lord of the island of Amacusa issued his
proclamation, by which bis subjects—whether bon-
zes or gentlemen, merchants or traders—were re-
quired either to turn Christians, or to leave the
country the very next day. They almost all sub-
mitted, and received baptism, so that in a short time
TUE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITV IN JAPAN. 105
there were more than twenty churches in the king-
dom. God wrought miracles to confirm the faithful
in their belief."
Miracles of the kind here indicated and others
that might be quoted were not of the character of
those performed by Christ, and such methods of
making proselytes were very likely to recoil upon
those that indulged in them. IIow the result of the
introduction of European methods manifested itself
in Japan will be indicated in our next tale.
THE DECLINE AND FALL OFTHE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
We have described in the preceding tale the rise of
Christianity in Japan, and the remarkable rapidity
of its development in that remote land. We have
now to describe its equally rapid decline and fall,
and the exclusion of Europeans from Japanese soil.
It must be said here that this was in no sense due
to the precepts of Christianity, but wholly to the
practice of its advocates, their jealousy and abuse
of one another, and to the quarrels between different
nations who hoped to gain a lion's share of the trade
with Japan.
At the time when the Portuguese came to Japan
all Europe was torn with wars, civil, political, and
religious. These quarrels were transferred to the
soil of Japan, and in the end so disgusted the people
of that empire that Europeans were forbidden to set
foot on its shores and the native Christians were
massacred. Traders, pirates, missionaries, and slave-
dealers made their way thither, with such a hodge-
podge of interests, and such a medley of lies andbacUbitings, that the Japanese became incensed
against the whole of them, and in the end decided
that their room was far better than their company.Tlie Portuguese were followed to Japan by the
Spaniards, and these by the Dutch, each trying to
106
DECLINE AND FALL OP THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 107
blacken tlie characler of the others. The Catholics
abused the Protestants, and were as vigorously abused
in return. Each trading nation lied with the most
liberal freedom about its rivals. To the seaports
of Hirado and Nagasaki came a horde of the out-
casts of Europe, inveteratcly hostile to one anothei*,
and indulging in quarrels, riots, and murders to an
extent which the native authorities found difficult
to control. In addition, the slave-trade was eagerly
prosecuted, slaves being so cheap, in consequence of
the poverty and misery arising from the civil wars,
that even the negro and Malaj^ servants of the
Portuguese indulged in this profitable trade, which
was continued in spite of decrees threatening all
slave-dealers with death.
This state of affairs, and the recriminations of the
religious sects, gave very natural disgust to the
authorities of Japan, who felt little respect for a
civilization that showed itself in such uncivilized
shapes, and the disputing and fighting foreigner
were rapidly digging their own graves in Japan.
During the life of Nobunaga all went on well. In
his hatred to the Buddhist bonzes he ftivored the
Jesuits, and Christianity found a clear field. Withthe advent of Hideyoshi there came a change. His
early favor to the missionaries was followed by dis-
gust, and in 1587 he issued a decree banishing them
from the land. The churches and chapels were
closed, public preaching ceased, but privately the
work of conversion went actively on, as many as
ten thousand converts being made each year.
The Spanish mendicant friars from the Philippines
JU8 HISTORICAL TALES.
were bolder in their work. Defying the decree, they
preached openly in the dress of their orders, not
hesitating to denounce in violent language the ob-
noxious law. As a result the decree was renewed,
and a number of the priests and their converts were
crucified. But still the secret work of the Jesuits
continued and the number of converts increased,
among them being some of the generals in the Corean
war.
With the accession of lyeyasu began a rapid down-
fall of Christianity in Japan. In the great battle
which raised him to the head of affairs some of the
Christian leaders were killed. Konishi, a Christian
general, who had commanded one division of the
army in Corea, was executed. On everj- side there
was evidence of a change in the tide of affairs, and
the Christians of Japan began to despair.
The daimios no longer bade their followers to
become Christians. On the contrary, they ordered
them to renounce the new faith, under threat of
punishment. Their harshness resulted in rebellion,
so new a thin^ among the peasantry of Japan that
the authorities felt sure that thej- had been secretly
instigated to it by the missionai'ies. The wrath of
the shogun aroused, he sent soldiers against the
rebels, putting down each outbreak with bloodshed,
and in 1606 issued a decree abolishing the Christian
faith. This the Spanish friars defied, as they hadthat of his predecessor.
In 1611, lyeyasu was roused to more active meas-
ures by the discovery of a plot between the foreign-
ers and the native converts for the overthrow of the
DECLINE AND FALL OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 109
government. Sado, whose mines were worked by
thousands of Christian exiles, was to be the centre
of the outbreak, its governor, Okubo, being chosen
as the leader and the proposed new ruler of the
land.
lyeyasu, awakened to the danger, now took active
steps to crush out the foreign faith. A large num-
ber of friars and Jesuits, with native priests, were
forcibly sent from the country, while the siege and
capture of the castle of Ozaka in 1615 ended the
career of all the native friends of the Jesuits, and
brought final ruin upon the Christian cause in Japan.
During the reigns of the succeeding shoguns a
violent persecution began. The Dutch traders, whoshowed no disposition to interfere in religious affairs,
succeeded in ousting their Portuguese rivals, all for-
eigners except Dutch and Chinese being banished
from Japan, while foreign trade was confined to the
two ports of Hirado and Nagasaki. This was fol-
lowed by a cruel effort to extirpate what was nowlooked on as a pestilent foreign faith. Orders were
issued that the people should trample on the cross
or on a copper plate engraved with the image of
Christ. Those who refused were exposed to hor-
rible pei'secutions, being wrapped in sacks of straw
and burnt to death in heaps of fuel, while terrible
tortures were employed to make them renounce
their faith. Some were flung alive into open graves,
many burned with the wood of the crosses before
which they had prayed, others flung from the edge
of precipices. Yet they bore tortures and endured
death with a fortitude not surpassed by that of the
110 HISTORICAL TALES.
martyrs of old, clinging with the highest Chrisiiaii
ardor to their new faith.
In 1037 these excesses of persecution led to an
insurrection, the native Christians rising in thou-
sands, seizing an old castle at Shimabara, and openly
defying their persecutors. Composed as they were
of farmers and jieasants, the commanders whomarched against them at the head of veteran ar-
mies looked for an easy conquest, but with all their
efforts the insurgents held out against them for two
months. The fortress was at length reduced by the
aid of cannon taken from the Dutch traders, and
after the slaughter of great numbers of the gar-
rison. The bloody work was consummated by the
massacre of thirty-seven thousand Christian pris-
oners, and the flinging of thousands more from a
precipice into the sea below. Many were banished,
and numbers escaped to Formosa, whither others had
formerly made their wa}'. The "evil sect" was for-
mally prohibited, while edicts were issued declaring
that as long as the sun should shine no foreigner
should enter Japan and no native should leave it.
A slight exception was made in favor of the Dutch,
of whom a small number were permitted to reside
on the little island of Deshima, in the harbor of Na-gasaki, one trading shij) being allowed to come there
each year.
Thus ended the career of foreign trade and mis-
sionary labor in Japan. It had continued for nearly
a century, j-et left no mark of its presence except
the use of gunpowder and fire arms, the culture of
tobacco and the habit of smoking, the naturalization
DECLINE AND FALL OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. HI
of a few foreign words and of several strange dis-
eases, and, as an odd addition, the introduction of
sponge-cake, still everywhere used as a favorite
viand. As for Christianity, the very name of Christ
became execrated, and was employed as the most
abhorrent word that could be spoken in Japan. TheChristian faith was believed to be absolutely extir-
pated, and yet it seems to have smouldered unseen
during the centuries. As late as 1829 seven persons
suspected of being Christians were crucified in Ozaka.
Yet in 1860, when the French missionaries were ad-
mitted to Nagasaki, they found in the surrounding
villages no fewer than ten thousand people who still
clung in secret to the despised and persecuted faith.
The French and English had little intercourse
with Japan, but the career of one Englishman there
is worthy of mention. This was a pilot named Will
Adams, who arrived there in 1607 and lived in or
near Yedo until his death in 1620. He seems to
have been a manly and honest fellow, who won the
esteem of the people and the favor of the shogun,
by whom he was made an officer and given for sup-
port the revenue of a village. His skill in ship-
building and familiarity with foreign affairs madehim highly useful, and he was treated with great re-
spect and kindness, though not allowed to leave
Japan. He had left a wife and daughter in England,
but married again in .Fapan, his children there being
a son and daughter, whose descendants may slill be
found in that coiiiilry. Aiijiii Cho (Pilot Street)
in Yedo was named from him, and the inmates of
that sti'cet honor his memory with an annual cclo-
112 HISTORICAL TALES.
bration on the 15th of June. His tomb may still
be seen on one of the hills overlooking the Bay
of Yedo, where two neat stone shafts, set on a pedi-
ment of stone, mark the burial-place of the only
foreigner who in past times ever attained to honor
in Japan.
THE CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAINGOLOWNIN.
Japan was persistent in its policy of isolation. Toits people theii' group of islands was the world, and
they knew little of and cared less for what was going
on in all the continents outside. The Dutch vessel
that visited their shores once a year served as an
annual newspaper, and satisfied their curiosity as
to the doings of mankind. The goods it brought
were little eared for, Japan being sufficient unto
itself, so that it served merely as a window to the
world. Once a year a delegation from the Dutch
settlement visited the capital, but the visitors
travelled almost like prisoners, and were forced to
crawl in to the mikado on their hands and knees
and to back out again in the same crab-like fashion.
Some of these envoys wrote accounts of what they
had seen, and that was all that was known of Japan
for two centuries.
This state of affairs could not continue. With the
opening of the nineteenth century the ships of Europe
began to make their way in large numbers to the
North Pacific, and efforts were made to force open
the locked gates of Japan. Some sought for food
and water. These could be had at Nagasaki, but
nowhere else, and were given with a warning to
move on. In some cases shipwrecked Japanese were
8 113
114 HISTORICAL TALES.
brought back in foreign vessels, but according to law
Buch persons were looked upon as no longer Japanese,
and no welcome was given to those who brought them.
In other cases wrecked whalers and other mariners
sought safety on Japanese soil, but they were held
strict prisoners, and rescued only with great diffi-
culty. The law was that foreigners landing any-
where on the coast, except at Nagasaki, should be
seized and condemned to perpetual imprisonment,
and that those landing at Nagasaki must strictly
abstain from Christian worship.
Meanwhile the Russians had become, through
their Siberian ports, near neighbors of Japan, and
sought to open trade with that country. In 1793
Lieutenant Laxman landed at Hakodate and travelled
overland to Matsuraai, bringing with him some ship-
wrecked Japanese and seeking for commercial rela-
tions with Jai)an. He was treated with courtesy,
but dismissed without an answer to his demand, and
told that he could lake his Japanese back with himor leave them as he pleased.
In 1804 the Eussians came again, this time to
Nagasaki. This vessel also brought back some ship-
wrecked Japanese, and had on board a Eussian
count, sent as ambassador from the czar. But the
shogun refused to receive the ambassador or to
accept his presents, and sent him word that Japan
had little need of foreign productions, and got all it
wanted from the Dutch and Chinese. All this wassaid with great politeness, but the ambassador
thought that he had been shabbily treated, and
went away angry, reproaching the Dutch for his
THE CAPTIVITY OP CAPTAIN OOLOWMN. 115
failure. His anger against the Japanese was sliown
in a hostile fashion. In 1805 he sent out two small
vessels, whose crews landed on the island of Sagha-
lien, plundered a Japanese settlement there, carried
off some pi'isoners, and left behind a written state-
ment that this had been done to revenge the slights
put upon the Russian ambassador.
This violence was amply repaid by the Japanese.
How they did so we have now to tell. In 1811 Cap-
tain Golownin, an intelligent and educated officer of
the Russian navj', was sent in command of the sloop-
of-war Diana to explore the Kurile Islands. These
belonged to Japan, and were partly settled. At the
south end of Kunashir, one of these islands, was a
Japanese settlement, with a garrison, Here Golow-
nin, having landed with two officers, four men, and
an interpreter, was invited into the fort. He en-
tered unsuspectingly, but suddenly found himself
detained as a prisoner, and held as such despite all
the efforts of the Diana to obtain his release.
The prisoners were at once bound with small cords
in a most painful way, tiieir elbows being drawnbehind their backs until they almost touched, and
their hands firmly tied together, the cords being
also brought in loops around their breasts and necks.
A long cord proceeded from these fastenings and was
held by a Japanese, who, if an attempt were madeto escape, had only lo pull it to bring the elbows
together with great pain and to tighten the loop
around the neck so as nearly to strangle the prisoner.
Their ankles and knees were also firmly bound.
In this condition they were conveyed to Ilako-
116 HISTORICAL TALES.
date, in (he island of Yeso, a distance of six or seven
liundred miles, being carried, on the land part of the
route, in a sort of palanquin made of j^lanks, unless
they preferred to walk, in which case the cords were
loosened about their legs. At night they were
trussed up more closely still, and the ends of their
ropes tied to iron hooks in the wall. The cords were
drawn so tight as in time to cut into the flesh, yet
for six or seven days their guards refused to loosen
them, despite their piteous appeals, being fearful
that their prisoners might commit suicide, this being
the favorite Japanese method in extremity.
The escort consisted of nearly two hundred men.
Two Japanese guides, changed at each new district,
led the way, carrying handsomely carved staves.
Three soldiers followed. Then came Captain Golow-
nin, with a soldier on one side, and on the other an
attendant with a twig to drive off the gnats, from
whose troublesome attacks he was unable to defend
himself. Next came an officer holding the end of
the rope that bound him, followed by a partj' carry-
ing his litter or palanquin. Each of the prisoners
was escorted in the same manner. In the rear camethree soldiers, and a number of servants carrying
provisions and baggage.
Aside from their bonds, the captives were well
treated, being supplied with three meals a day, con-
sisting of rice gruel, soup made of radishes or other
roots, a kind of macaroni, and a piece of fish. Mush-
rooms or hard-boiled eggs were sometimes supplied.
Golowniu's bitter complaints at length had the
effect of a loosening of their bonds, which enabled
THE CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAIN GOLOWNIN. 117
them to get along more comfortably. Their guards
took great care of their health, making frequent
halts to rest, and carrying them across all the streams,
80 that they should not wet their feet. In case of
rain they furnished them with Japanese quilted
gowns for protection. In all the villages the inhab-
itants viewed them with great curiosity, and at
Hakodate the street was crowded with spectators,
some witli silk dresses and mounted on richly capari-
soned horses. Xono of the people showed any sign
of malice or any disposition to insult the prisoners,
while in their journey they were "cheered by manydisplays of sj'mpatby and piety.
At Hakodate they were imprisoned in a long,
barn-like building, divided into apartments hardly
six feet square, each foi-med of thick spars and re-
sembling a cage. Outside were a high fence and an
earthen wall. Here their food was much worse than
that on the journey. While here they were several
times examined, being conducted through the streets
to a castle-like building, where they were brought
into the presence of the governor and several other
officials, who put to them a great variety of ques-
tions, some of them of the most trivial character.
A letter was also brought them, which had been
sent on shore from the Diana alon<; with their ba<r-
gage, and which said that the ship would return to
Siberia for reinforcements, and then would never
leave Japan (ill the prisoners were released.
Some time afterwards the cajitives were removed
to Matsumai, being supplied with horses on the
journey, but still to some extent fettered with ropes.
118 HISTORICAL TALES.
Here they were received by a greater crowd than
before, Matsumai being a more important town than
Hakodate. Their prison was similar to the pre-
ceding one, but their food was much better, andafier
a time they were released from their cage-like cells
and permitted to dwell together in a large room.
They were, as before, frequently examined, their
captors being so inquisitive and asking such trifling
and absurd questions that at times they grew so
annoyed as to refuse to answer. But no display of
passion affected the politeness of the Japanese, whose
coolness and courtesy seemed unlimited.
Thus the first winter of their captivity was passed.
In the spring they were given more liberty, being
allowed to take walks in the vicinity of the town.
Soon after they were removed from their prison to
a dwelling of three apartments, though they were
still closely watched.
This strict confinement, of which they could see
no end, at length became so irksome that the pris-
oners determined to escape. Their walks had madethem familiar with the character of the surrounding
country, and enabled ihem also to gain possession
of a few tools, with which they managed to make a
tunnel to the outer air. Leaving their cells at night,
they succeeded in reaching the mountains back of
the town, whence they hoped to find some meansof escaping by sea.
But in the flight Golownin had hurt his leg
severel}-, the pain being so great that he wasscarce]}' able to walk. This prevented the fugitives
from getting far from the town, while their wander-
THE CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAIN QOLOWNIN. lU
iiigs through the mountains were attended with
man}' difficulties and dangers. After a week thus
spent, they were forced to seek the coast, where
they were seen and recaptured.
'J'he captives were now confined in the commonjail of the town, though they were not treated any
more harshly than before, and no ill will was shown
them by the officials. Even the soldier who was
most blamed for their escape treated them with his
former kindness. They were soon sent back to their
old prison, where they passed a second winter, re-
ceiving while there visits from a Japanese astronomer
and others in search of information. One old officer,
who was very civil to them, at one time brought them
portraits of three richly dressed Japanese ladies, tell-
ing them to keep them, as they might enjoy looking
at them when time hung heavy on their hands.
]\reanwhile their countrymen were making earnest
efforts to obtain their release. Some months after
their capture the Diana, now under Captain Ei-
kord, returned to Kunashir, bringing one of the Jap-
anese who had been taken prisoner in the descent on
Saghalien. The other had died. Six other Japanese,
who had been lately shipwrecked, were brought, in
the hope of exchanging these seven for the seven
prisoners. Efforts were made to communicate with
the Japanese, but they refused to receive the Russian
message, and sent back word that the prisoners were
all dead. Two of the Japanese sent ashore failed to
return.
Rikord, weary of the delay and discourtesy shown,
now resolved to take more vigorous action, and
120 HISTORICAL TALES.
Rcizcd upon a large Japanese ship that entered the
bay, taking prisoner the captain, who seemed to be
a person of distinction, and who told them that six
of the Russians were in the town of Matsumai. Not
fully crediting this, Rikord resolved to carry his
captive to Kamchatka, hoping to obtain from him
some useful information concerning the purposes of
the Japanese government. At Rikord's request the
merchant wrote a letter to the commander of the
fort at Kunashir, telling him what was proposed.
No answer was returned, and when the boats tried
to land for water they were fired upon. The guns
were also turned upon the Diana whenever she ap-
proached the shore, but with such wretched aim that
the Russians only laughed at it.
In the following summer the Diana returned to
Kunashir, bringing Kachi, the merchant, who had
been seriously ill from homesickness, and two of his
attendants, the others having died. The two attend-
ants were sent on shore, Kachi bidding them to tell
that he had been very well treated, and that the
ship had made an early return on account of his
health. On the next day Rikord unconditionally set
free his captive, trusting to his honor for his doing
all he could to procure the release of the prisoners.
Kachi kept his word, and soon was able to obtain
a letter in the handwriting of Golowniu, stating that
he and his companions were all alive and well at
Matsumai. Afterwards one of the Russian sailors
was brought to Kunashir and sent on board the
Diana, with the understanding that he would return
to the fort every night. Despite the watchfulness
THE CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAIN GOLOWNIN. 121
of the Japanese, he succeeded in bringing a letter
from Golownin, which he had sewed into his jacket.
This advised Eikord to be prudent, civil, and patient,
and not to send him any letters or papers which
would cause him to be tormented with questions or
translations. In truth, he had been fairly tortured
by the refinements of Japanese curiosity. Finally an
ultimatum was obtained from the Japanese, who re-
fused to deliver up their prisoners until they received
from the authorities at Okhotsk a formal written
statement that they had not ordered the hostile pro-
ceedings at Saghalien. The Diana returned for
this, and in October made her appearance at Hako-
date, bearing the letter required and another from
the governor of Irkutsk.
The ship had no sooner entered the harbor than
it was surrounded by a multitude of boats, of all
kinds and sizes, filled with the curious of both sexes,
many of whom had never before set eyes on a Eu-
ropean vessel. They were in such numbers that the
watch-boats, filled with soldiers, had great ado to keep
them back.
Kachi came on board the next morning, and was
given the letter from the governor of Okhotsk. Theother Rikord would not deliver except in person,
and after much delay an interview with the gov-
ernor was arranged, at which Kikord was received
with much state and ceremony. The letter of the
governor of Irkutsk was now formally delivered, in
a box covered with purple cloth, its reception being
followed by an entertainment composed of tea and
sweetmeats.
122 HISTORICAL TALES.
Meanwhile Golowiiin and his companions, from
the time the Diana set out foi" Okhotsk, had been
treated rather as guests than as jn-isoners. They
were now brought to Hakodate and delivered to
ilikord, after an imprisonment of more than two
years. With them was sent a paper reiterating
the Japanese policy of isolation, and declaring that
any ships that should thereafter present themselves
would be received with cannon-balls instead of com-
pliments.
In all this business Kachi had worked with tireless
energy. At first he was received with reserve as
having come from a foreign country. He was placed
under guard, and for a long time was not permitted
to see Golownin, but by dint of persistence had done
much in favor of the release of the prisoners.
His abduction had thrown his family into the
greatest distress, and his wife had made a pilgrimage
through all Japan, as a sort of penitential offering to
the favoring gods. During his absence his business
had prospered, and before the departure of the
Diana he presented the crew with dresses of silk
and cotton wadding, the best to his favorites, the
cook being especially remembered. He then begged
permission to treat the crew.
"Sailors are all alike," he said, "whether Russian
or Japanese. Thej^ are all fond of a glass ; and
there is no danger in the harbor of Hakodate."
So that niglit the crew of the Diana enjoyed a
genuine sailors' holiday, with a plentiful supply of
saki and Japanese tobacco.
THE OPENING OF JAPAN.
On the 8th of Jul}^, 1853, the Japanese were
treated to a genuine surprise. Off Cupe Idsu, the
outer extremity of the Bay of Ycdo, appeared a
squadron of war-vessels bound inward under full
sail, in bold disregard of the lines of prohibition
which Japan had drawn across the entrance of all
her j)ort8. Rounding the high mountains of the
])romontory of Idsu, by noon the fleet reached Cape
Sagami, which forms the dividing line between the
outer and inner sections of the Bay of Yedo. Here
the shores rose in abrupt bluffs, furrowed by green
dells, while in the distance could be seen groves and
cultivated fields. From the cape a number of vessels
put out to intercept the squadron, but, heedless of
these, it kept on through the narrow part of the bay
—
from five to eight miles wide—and entet-ed the inner
ba3% which expands to a width of more than fifteen
miles. Here the ships dropped anchor within full
view of the town of Uragawa, having broken through
the invisible bonds which Japan had so long drawn
around her coasts.
During the period between the release of the
Russian captives and the date of this visit various
foreign vessels had appeared on the coast of Japan,
each with some special excuse for its presence, yet
each arbitrarily ordered to leave. One of these, an
123
124 HISTORICAL TALES.
American trading vessel, the Morrison, had been
(liivon otf with musketry and artillery, although she
bad come to return a number of shipwrecked Jap-
anese. Some naval vessels had entered the Bay of
Yedo, but had been met with such vigorous oppo-
sition that they made their visits very short, and as
late as 1850 the Japanese notified foreign nations
that they proposed to maintain their rigorous sj^stem
of exclusion. No dream came to them of the re-
markable change in their policy which a few decades
were to bring forth.
They did not know that they were seeking to
maintain an impossible situation. China had adopted
a similar policy, but already the cannon-balls of for-
eign powers had produced a change of view. If
Japan had not peaceably yielded, the hard hand of
war must soon have broken down her bars. For in
addition to Eussia there was now another civilized
power with ports on the Pacific, the United States.
And the fleets of the European powers were making
their way in growing numbers to those waters. In
a period when all the earth was being opened to
commercial intercourse, Japan could not hope long
to remain a little world in herself, like a separate
planet in space.
It was the settlement of California, and the in-
crease of American interests on the Pacific, that in-
duced the United States to make a vigorous effort to
open the ports of Japan. Hitherto all nations had
3'ielded to the resolute policy of the islanders; nowit was determined to send an expedition with in-
structions not to take no for an answer, but to insist
THE OPENING OF JAPAN. 125
on the Japanese adopting the policy of civilized
nations in general. It was with this purpose that
the fleet in question had entered the Bay of Yedo.
It was under command of Commodore Matthew C.
Perry, who bore a letter from the President of the
United States to the Emperor of Japan, suggesting
the desirability of commercial relations between the
two countries, requesting the supply of American
vessels with coal and provisions, and demanding the
kind treatment and prompt return of shipwrecked
mariners. This letter, splendidly engrossed, was en-
closed in a golden box of a thousand dollars in value,
and was accompanied by numerous presents. The
fleet consisted of the steam-frigates Susquehanna
and Mississippi and the sloops-of-war Pl^-mouth and
Saratoga, being the most imposing armament that
had ever entered a Japanese port. Perry was de-
termined to maintain his dignity as a representative
of the United States, and to demand as a right, in-
stead of soliciting as a favor, the courtesies due from
one civilized nation to another.
The ships had no sooner dropped anchor in the
bay than several guns were fired from a neighboring
point and a number of boats put off from the shore.
In the stern of each were a small flag and several menwearing two swords, evidently persons in authority.
These boats were stopped at the ships' sides, and
their inmates told that no person could be admitted
on board except the principal oflScial of the town,
the high rank of the commodore forbidding him to
meet any lesser dignitary'. As one of (he visitors
represented that he was second in rank in the town,
126 HISTORICAL TALES.
ho was finally received on board the flag-ship, but
the commodoi'e declined to see him, turning him over
to Mr. Contee, the flag lieutenant.
A long interview followed, in which the ofiicial
was made to understand that the expedition bore a
letter from the President of the United States to the
emperor, a message of such importance that it could
be delivered only to an officer of high rank. Hewas also told, through the interpreters, that the
squadron would not submit to be placed under guard,
and that all the guard-boats must withdraw. Theofficial displayed much of the inquisitive curiosity
for which the Japanese had made themselves notable
on former occasions, and asked a variety of unim-
portant questions which the lieutenant refused to
answer, saying that they were impertinent.
The Japanese officer had brought with him the
ordinary notifications, warning all ships against en-
tering their ports, but these the lieutenant refused
to receive. Eeturning to the shore, in about an hour
the officer came back, saying that his superior could
not receive the letter addressed to the emperor, and
stating that Xagasaki was the proper place for
foreign ships to stop. As for the letter, he doubted
if it would be received and answered. He was at
once given to understand that if the governor of the
town did not send for the letter, the ships wouldproceed up the bay to Yedo and deliver it them-
selves. At this he withdrew in a state of great agi-
tation, asking permission to return in the morning.
During the night watch-fires bhizod at points
along the coast, and bells sounded the hours. The
THE OPENING. OF JAPAN. 127
watch-boats remained around the fleet, but kept at a
respectful distance from the perilous intruders. The
next morning the highest official of the town came
on board, but did his utmost to avoid receiving the
lefter. In the end he offered to send to Yedo for
permission, and was granted three days for this pur-
pose.
While awaiting an answer the ships were not idle.
Surveying parties were sent four miles up the bay,
sounding, and finding everywhere a depth of from
thirty to forty fathoms. As they approached the
forts armed soldiers came out, but retired again
when the boats drew nearer. The forts, five in num-
ber, were very feeble, their total armament consist-
ing of fourteen guns, none larger than nine-pounders.
Many of the soldiers were armed with spears. Can-
vas screens wei*e stretched from tree to tree, as
if with the idea that these would keep back cannon-
balls. In truth, the means of defence were so slight
that Yedo lay at the mercy of the American fleet.
Villages seemed to line the shores in an unbroken
series, and numerous small craft lay in the harbor,
while trading vessels came in and out with little re-
gard to the presence of the foreign ships. Every
day there passed up and down the bay nearly a
hundred large junks and a great number of fishing
and other boats.
Yezaimon, the governor of the town, protested
earnestly against the survey of the waters by the
ships, saying that it was against the laws of Japan,
lie was told that it was commanded by the laws of
America, and the soundings went steadily on. On
128 HISTORICAL TALES.
the second day the surveying party proceeded some
ten miles up the bay, the Mississippi steaming in
their wake. This roused new agitation in the
Japanese, government boats meeting them at every
point and making earnest signs to them to return.
But no notice was taken of these gestures, and the
survey was continued, deep soundings and soft bottom
being found throufjhout.
In the evening Yezaimon came on board with a
cheerful countenance, saying that he expected good
news from Yedo, though he protested still against
the doings of the boats. One of the officers speaks of
him as a " gentleman, clever, polished, well informed,
a fine, large man, about thirty-four, of most excel-
lent countenance, taking his wine freely, and a boon
companion."
On the 12th word came that the emperor would
send a high officer to receive the letter. No imme-
diate answer would be given, but one would be for-
warded through the Dutch or the Chinese. This offer
the commodore rejected as insulting. But, fearing
that he might be detained by useless delay, he agreed
to withdraw for a proper interval, at the end of
which he would return to receive the answer.
On the 14th the reception of the letter took place,
the occasion being made one of much ceremon}^.
The commodore landed with due formality, through
a line of Japanese boats, and with a following of
three hundred and twenty officers and sailors from
the fleet. Passing through a large body of soldiers,
behind whom stood a crowd of spectators, the build-
ing prepared for the reception was reached. It was
THE OPENING OF JAPAN. 129
a temporary structure, the reception-room of which
was hung wiih fine cloth, stamped with the imperial
symbols in white on a violet background. The
princes of Idsu and Iwami awaited as the envoj^s of
the shogun, both of them splendidly attired in richly
embroidered robes of silk.
A large scarlet-lacquered box, on gilded feet, stood
ready to receive the letter, which, after being shown
in its rich receptacle, was placed on the scarlet box,
with translations in Dutch and Chinese. A formal
receipt was given, ending with the following words:" Because the place is not designed to treat of any-
thing from foreigners, so neither can conference nor
entertainment take place. The letter being received,
3'ou will leave here."
" I shall return again, pi'obably in April or May,for an answer," said the commodore, on receiving the
receipt.
"With all the ships?" asked the interpreter.
" Yes, and probably with more," was the repl3\
This said, the commodore rose and departed, the
commissioners standing, but not another word being
uttered on either side. As if to indicate to his hosts
how little he regarded the curt oi'der to leave, the
commodore proceeded in the Susquehanna up the
bay to the point the Mississippi had reached. Herohe dropped anchor, the spot being afterwards knownas the "American anchorairc." On the followinir
day he sent the Mississippi ten miles higher up, a
point being reached within eight or ten miles of the
capital. Three or four miles in advance a crowdedmass of shipping was seen, supposed to lie at Sina-
9
130 HISTORICAL TALES.
gavva, the southern suburb of Yedo. On the 16th
the vessels moved down the bay, and on the follow-
ing day they stood out to sea, no doubt greatly to
the relief of the Japanese officials.
In consequence of the death of the shogun, which
took place soon after. Perry did not return for his
answer until the following year, casting anchor again
in the Bay of Yedo on February 12, 1854. He had
now a larger fleet, consisting of three steam-frigates,
four sloops-of-war, and two store-ships. Entering
the ba}", they came to anchor at the point known as
the " American anchorage."
And now a debate arose as to where the ceremo-
nies of reception should take place. The Japanese
wished the commodore to withdraw to a point downthe bay, some twenty miles below Uragawa. He, on
the contrary, insisted on going to Yedo, and sent
boats up to within four miles of that city to sound
the channel. Finally the village of Yokohama, oppo-
site the anchorage of the ships, was fixed upon.
On the 8th of March the first reception took place,
great formality being observed, though this time
light refreshments were offered. Two audiences a
week were subsequently held, at one of which, on
March 13, the American presents were delivered.
They consisted of cloths, agricultural implements, fire-
arms, and other articles, the most valuable being a
small locomotive, tender, and car, which wore set in
motion on a circular track. A mile of telegraph
wire was also set up and operated, this interesting
the Japanese more than anything else. They had
the art, however, of concealing their feelings, and
THE OPENING OF JAPAN. 131
took oare to show no wonder at anything dis-
played.
In the letter of reply from the shogun it was con-
ceded that the demands in relation to shipwrecked
sailors, coal, provisions, water, etc., were just, and
there was shown a willingness to add a new harbor
to that of Nagasaki, but five years' delay in its open-
ing were asked. To this the commodore would not
accede, nor would he consent to be bound by the
restrictions jjlaccd on the Dutch and Chinese. Hedemanded three harbors, one each in Hondo, Yezo,
and the Loochoo Islands, but final)}' agreed to accept
two, the port of Simoda in Hondo and that of Hako-
date in Yezo. An aicrecmcnt beini; at leno^th reached,
three copies of the treaty were exchanged, and this
was followed by an entertainment on the fleet to the
Japanese officials, in which they did full justice to
American fare, and seemed to be particularly- fond
of champagne. One of them became so merry and
familiar under the influence of this beverage that he
vigorously embraced the commodore, who bore the
infliction with good-humored patience.
At the new treaty ports the restrictions which
had been thrown around the Dutch at Nagasaki
were removed, citizens of the United States being
free to go where they pleased within a limit of sev-
eral miles around the towns.
The success of the Americans in this negotiation
stimulated the other maritime nations, and in the
same j'ear a British fleet visited Nagasaki and ob-
tained commercial concessions. In 1858 the treaties
were extended, the port of Yokohama replacing that
132 HISTORICAL TALES.
of Simoda, and the treaty ports being opened to
American, British, French, and Dutch traders. Sub-
sequently the same privileges were granted to the
other commercial nations, the country was made free
to travellers, and the long-continued isolation of
Japan was completely broken down. A brief ex-
perience of the advantages of commerce and foreign
intercourse convinced the quick-witted islanders of
the folly of their ancient isolation, and they threw
open their country without restriction to all the
good the world had to offer and to the fullest inflow
of modern ideas.
THE MIKADO COMES TO HISOWN AGAIN.
The visit of Commodore Perry to Japan and the
signing of a treaty of commerce with the United
States formed a great turning-point in the history
of that ancient empire. Through its influence the
mikado came to his own again, after being for seven
centuries virtually the vassal of the shogun. So
long had he vanished from sight that the people
looked upon him as a far-off spiritual dignitary, and
had forgotten that he was once the supreme lord of
the land. During all this time the imperial court
had been kept up, with its prime minister, its oflScials
and nobles,—with everything except authority. The
court dignitaries ranked, in their own conceit and
their ancient titles, ftir above the shogun and daimios,
the military leaders, but they were like so manyactors on the stage, playing at power. The shogun,
with the power at his command, might have made
himself the supreme dignitary, but it was easier to
let the sleepy court at Kioto alone, leaving them the
shadow of that power of which the substance was
in the shogun's hands.
Yet there was always a risk in this. The sleeping
emperor might at any time awake, call the people
and the army to his aid, and break through the web
that the great spider of military rule had woven133
134 HISTORICAL TALES.
about his court. Some great event might stir Japan
to its depths and cause a vital change in the state
of affairs. Such an event came in the visit of the
American fleet and the signing of a ti'eaty of com-
merce and intercourse by the Tai Kun, or great sov-
ereign of Japan, as the shogun signed himself
For two centuries and a half Japan had been at
peace. For nearly that length of time foreigners
had been forbidden to set foot on its soil. They
were looked upon as barbarians, " foreign devils" the
islanders called them, the trouble they had caused
long before was not forgotten, and throughout the
island empire they were hated or despised.
The visit of the American fleet was, therefore,
sure to send a stir of deep feeling throughout the
land. During this period of excitement the shogun
died, and the power was seized by li, the regent, a
daring and able man, who chose as shogun a boy
twelve years old, imprisoned, exiled, or beheaded all
who opposed him, and was suspected of an intention
to depose the mikado and set up a boy emperor in
his place.
All this aroused new excitement in Japan. Butthe opposition to these acts of the regent would not
have grown to revolution had no more been done.
The explosion came when li signed a treaty with
the foreigners, a right which belonged only to the
mikado, and sent word to Kioto that the exigency
of the occasion had forced him to take this action.
The feeling that followed was intense. Thecountry became divided into two parties, that of the
mikado, which opposed the foreigners, and that of
THE MIKADO COMES TO HIS OWN AGAIN. 135
the shogiin, which favored them. " Honor the
mikado and expel the barbarians," became the pa-
triot watchword, and in all directions excited parti-
sans roamed the land, vowing that they would kill
the regent and his new friends and that they were
ready to die for the true emperor. Their fury bore
fruit. li was assassinated. At the moment when a
strong hand was most needed, that of the regent was
removed. And as the feelino; of bitterness against
the foreigners grew, the influence of the shogun de-
clined. The youthful dignitary was obliged by public
opinion to visit Kioto and do homage to the mikado,
an ancient ceremony which had not been performed
for two hundred and thirty years, and whose former
existence had almost been forgotten.
This was followed by a still more vital act. Un-der orders from the mikado, the shogun appointed
the prince of Echizen premier of the empire. Theprince at once took a remarkable step. For over
two centuries the daimios had been forced to reside
in Yedo. With a word he abolished this custom,
and like wild birds the feudal lords flew away. The
cage which had held them so long was open, and
they winged their way to their distant nests. This
act was fatal to the glory of Yedo and the power
of its sovereign lord. In the words of the native
chronicler, " the prestige of the Tokugawa family,
which had endured for three hundred j^ears, which
had been as much more brilliant than Kamakura in
the age of Yoritomo as the moon is more brilliant
than the stars, which for more than two hundred
and seventy years had forced the daimios to take
13G HISTORICAL TALES.
tlioir turn of duty in Yedo, and wbich had, day
and night, eighty thousand vassals at its command,fell to ruin in the space of a single day."
In truth, the revolution was largely completed by
this signal act. Many of the daimios and their re-
tainers, let loose from their prison, deserted the cause
of their recent lord. Their place of assemblage wasnow at Kioto, which became once more populous
and bustling. They strengthened the imjierial court
with gold and pledged to it their devotion. Pam-phlets were issued, some claiming that the clans
owed allegiance to the shogun, others that the
mikado was the true and only emperor.
The first warlike step in support of the new ideas
was taken in 1863, by the clan of Choshiu, which
erected batteries at Shimonoseki, refused to disarm
at the shogun's order, and fired on foreign vessels.
This brought about a bombardment, in the following
yeai", by the ships of four foreign nations, the most
important result of which was to teach the Japanese
the strength of the powers against which they had
arrayed themselves.
Meanwhile the men of Choshiu, the declared ad-
herents of the mikado, urged him to make a journey
to Yamato, and thus show to his people that he wasready to take the field in person against the bar-
barians. This suggestion was at first received with
favor, but suddenly the Choshiu envoys and their
friends were arrested, the palace was closely guarded,
and all members or retainers of the clan were for-
bidden to enter the capital, an order which placed
them in the position of outlaws. The party of the
THE MIKADO COMES TO HIS OWN AGAIN. 137
Bhogun had made the mikado believe that tlie clan
was plotting to seize his person and through him to
control the empire.
This act of violence led to civil war. In August,
1864, the capital was attacked by a body of thirteen
hundred men of the Choshiu and other disaffected
clans. It was defended by the adherents of the sho-
gun, now the supporters of the mikado. For two
days the battle raged, and at the end of that time
a great part of the city was a heap of ashes, somethirty thousand edifices being destroyed by the
flames. "The Blo.ssom Capital became a scorched
desert." The Choshiu were defeated, but Kioto lay
in ruins. A Japanese city is like a house of card-
board, easily destroyed, and almost as easily rebuilt.
This conflict was ibllowud by a march in force
upon Choshiu to punish its rebellious people. The
expedition was not a popular one. Some powerful
feudal lords refused to join it. Of those mustered into
the ranks many became conveniently sick, and those
who marched were disorganized and without heart
for the fight. Choshiu, on the contrary, was well
prepared. The clansmen, who had long been in con-
tact with the Dutch, had thrown aside the native
weapons, were drilled in European tactics, and were
well armed with rifles and artillery. The result was,
after a three months' campaign, the complete defeat
of the invading arm}^, and an almost fatal blow to the
prestige of the shoguii. This defeat was immediately
followed by the death of the young shogun, who hadbeen worn out by the intense anxiety of his period
of rule.
138 HISTORICAL TALES.
He was Hucceeded by the last of the shoguns,
Keiki, appointed head of the Tokugawa famil}- in
October, 1866, and shogun in January, 1867. This
position he had frequently declined. He was far too
weak and fickle a man to hold it at such a time.
He was popular at court because of his opposition
to the admission of the foreigners, but he was by no
means the man to hold the reins of government at
that perilous juncture of affairs.
In fact, he had hardly accepted the office when a
vigorous pressure was brought upon him to resign, in
which a number of princes and powerful noblemen
took part. It was their purpose to restore the ancient
government of the realm. Keiki yielded, and in
November, 1867, resigned his high office of Sei-i Tai
Shogun. During this critical interval the mikado
had died, and a new youthful emperor had been
raised to the throne.
But the imperial power was not so easily to be re-
stored, after its many centuries of abrogation. TheAidzu, the most loyal of all the clans to the shogun,
and the leaders in the war against the Choshiu,
guarded the palace gates, and for the time being
were masters of the situation. Meanwhile the party
of the mikado was not idle. Gradually small parties
of soldiers were sent by them to the capital, and a
quiet influence was brought to bear to induce the
court to take advantage of the opportunity and bya bold movement abolish the office of shogun and
declare the young emperor the sole sovei'eigu of the
realm.
This coup-dCetat was effected January 3, 1868. On
THE MIKADO COMES TO HIS OWN AGAIN. 139
that day the introduced troops suddenly took posses-
sion of the palace gates, the nobles who surrounded
the emperor were dismissed and replaced bj* others
favorable to the movement, and an edict was issued
in the name of the mikado declaring the office of
shogun abolished, and that the sole government of
the empire lay in the hands of the mikado and his
court. New offices were established and new officials
chosen to fill them, the clan of Choshiu was relieved
from the ban of rebellion and honored as the sup-
porter of the imperial power, and a completely newgovernment was organized.
This decisive action led to civil war. The ad-
herents of the Tokugawa clan, in high indignation
at this revolutionary act, left the capital, Keiki, whonow sought to seize his power again, at their head.
On the 27th of February he marched upon Kioto
with an army of ten thousand, or, as some say, thirty
thousand, men. The two roads leading to the capital
had been barricaded, and were defended by two
thousand men, armed with artillery.
A fierce battle followed, lasting for three days.
Greatly as the defenders of the barriers were out-
numbered, their defences and artillery, with their
European discipline, gave them the victory. Theshogun was defeated, and fled with his armj- to
Ozaka, the castle of which was captured and burned,
while he took refuge on an American vessel in the
harbor. Making his way thence to Ycdo in one of
his own ships, he shut himself up in his palace,
once more with the purpose of withdrawing from
the struggle.
140 HISTORICAL TALES.
Ilis retainers and many of the daimios and clans
urged him to continue the war, declaring that, with
the large army and abundant supplies at his com-
mand, and the powerful fleet under his control, they
could restore him to the position he had lost. ButKeiki had had enough of war, and could not bear
the idea of being a rebel against his liege lord.
Declaring that he would never take up arms against
the mikado, he withdrew from the struggle to pri-
vate life.
In the mean time the victorious forces of the
south had reached the suburbs of Yedo, and were
threatening to apply the torch to that tinder-box of
a city unless it were immediately suri-endered. Their
commander, being advised of the purpo.se of the sho-
gun, promised to spare the city, but assailed and
burned the magnificent temple of Uyeno, in which
the rebels still in arms had taken refuge. For a
year longer the war went on, victory everywhere
favoring the imperial army. By the 1st of July,
18G9, hostilities were at an end, and the mikado was
the sole lord of the realm.
Thus ended a military domination that had con-
tinued for seven hundred years. In 1167, Kij-omori
had made himself militarj' lord of the empire. In
1869, Mutsuhito, the one hundred and twenty-third
mikado in lineal descent, resumed the imperial powerwhich had so long been lost. Unlike China, over
which so numy dj-nasties have ruled, Japan has been
governed by a single dynasty, according to the native
records, for more than twenty-five hundred years.
The fall of the slu)gun was fuUowed by the fall of
THE MIKADO COMES TO HIS OWN AGAIN. 141
feudalism. The emperor, for the first time for inaiiy
centuries, came from behind his screen and showed
himself openly to his people. Yedo was made the
eastern capital of the realm, its name being changed
to Tokio. Hither, in September, 1871, the daimios
were once more summoned, and the order was issued
that they should give up their strongholds and feudal
retainers and letire to private life. They obeyed.
Eesistance would have been in vain. Thus fell an-
other ancient institution, eight centuries old. Therevolution was at an end. The shogunate and the
feudal system had fallen, to rise no more. A single
absolute lord ruled over Japan.
As regards the cry of "expel the barbarians,"
which had first given rise to hostilities, it gradually
died away as the revolution continued. The strength
of the foreign fleets, the advantages of foreign com-
merce, the conception which could not be avoided
that, instead of being barbarians, these aliens held
all the high prizes of civilization and had a thousand
important lessons to teach, caused a complete change
of mind among the intelligent Jajianese, and they
quickly began to welcome those whom they hatl
hitherto inveterately opposed, and to change their
institutions to accord with those of the Westernworld.
HOW THE EMPIRE OF CHINAAROSE AND GREW.
From the history of Japan we now turn to that
of China, a far older and more extensive kingdom,
so old, indeed, that it has now grown decrepit, while
Japan seems still in the glow of vigorous youth.
But, as our tales will show, there was a long period
in the past during which China was full of youthful
energy and activity, and there may be a time in the
future when a new youth will come to that hoary
kingdom, the most venerable of any existing upon
the face of the earth.
Who the Chinese originally were, whence they
came, how long they have dwelt in their present
realm, are questions easier to ask than to answer.
Their history does not reach back to their origin, ex-
cept in vague and doubtful outlines. The time was
when that great territory known as China was the
home of aboriginal tribes, and the first historical
sketch given us of the Chinese represents themas a little horde of wanderers, destitute of houses,
clothing, and fire, living on the spoils of the chase,
and on roots and insects in times of scarcity.
These peoj^le were not sons of the soil. Theycame from some far-off region. Some think that
their original home la}' "in the country to the south-
east of the Caspian, while later theorists seek to
142
now THE EMPIRE OF CHINA AROSE AND GREW. 143
trace their origin in Babj^Ionia, as an offshoot of the
Mongolian people to whom that land owed its early
language and culture. From some such place the
primitive Chinese made their way by slow stages to
the east, probably crossing the head-waters of the
Oxus and journeying along the southern slopes of
the Tian-Shan Mountains.
All this is conjecture, but we touch firmer soil
when we trace them to the upper course of the
Hoang-ho, or Yellow River, whose stream they fol-
lowed eastward until the}' reached the fertile plains
of the district now known as Shan-se. Here the
immigrants settled in small colonies, and put in
practice those habits of settled labor which they
seem to have brought with them from afar. Yet
there is reason to believe that they had at one time
been nomads, belonging to the herding rather than
to the agricultural races of the earth. Man}'' of the
common words in their language are partly madeup of the characters for sheep and cattle, and the
Chinese house so resembles the Tartar tent in out-
line that it is said that the soldiers of Genghis Khan,
on taking a city, at once pulled down the walls of
the houses and left the roof supported by its woodencolumns as an excellent substitute for a tent.
However that be, the new-comers seem to have
quickly become farmers, growing grain for food and
flax for their garments. The culture of the silk-
worni was early known, trade was developed, and
fairs were held. There was intellectual culture also.
They knew something of astronomy, and probably
possessed the art of hieroglyphic writing,—which,
14t HISTORICAL TALES.
if they came from Babylonia, they ma}- well have
broiii^ht with them.
This took place five thousand years or more ago,
and for a long time the history of the Chinese was
that of the conquest of the native tribes. They
name themselves the " black-haired race," but their
foes are classed as " fiery dogs" in the north, " great
bowmen" in the east. " mounted warriors" in the
west, and "ungovernable vermin" in the south.
Against these savages war was probably long con-
tinued, the invaders gradually widening their area,
founding new states, driving back the natives into
the mountains and desei'ts, and finally so nearly
annihilating them that only a small remnant re-
mained. The descendants of these, the Meaou-tsze,
mountain-dwellers, still remain hostile to China, and
hold their own in the mountain strongholds against
its armies.
Such was the China with which history opens.
Ancient Chinese writers amuse themselves with a
period of millions of years in which venerable d}'-
nasties reigned, serving to fill up the vast gap madeby their imagination in the period before written
history began. And when history does appear it is
not easy to tell how much of it is fact and howmuch fiction. The first ruler named, Yew-chaou She
(the Nest-having), was the chief who induced the
wanderers to settle within the bend of the Yellow
River and make huts of boughs. After him cameSuy-jin She (the Fire-maker), who discovered the
art of producing fire by the friction of two pieces
of dry wood, also how to count and register time by
HOW THE EMPIRE OF CHINA AROSE AND GREW. 145
means of knots tied in cords. Fuh-he discovered
iron by accident, and reigned one hundred and fifteen
years. Cliin-nung invented the plough, and in one
day discovered seventy poisonous phxntsand as manyantidotes. Under Hoang-ti the calendar was regu-
lated, roads were constructed, vessels were built,
and the title of Ti, or Emperor, was first assumed,
lloang-ti means " Yellow Emperor," and became a
favorite name with the founders of later dynasties.
His wife, Se-ling-she, was the first to unravel silk
from cocoons and weave it into cloth. Several
others followed, all partly or wholly fabulous, until
Yao ascended the throne in 2356 B.C. With this
emperor history begins to throw off some little of
the mist of legend and mythology.
With the reign of Yao the historical work of Con-
fucius begins. His narrative is not trustworthy
history, but it is not pure fable. Yao and Shun, his
successor, are two of the notable characters in the
ancient annals of China. Under them virtue reigned
supremo, crime was unknown, and the empire grewin extent and prosperity. The greatest diflicuUy
with which they had to contend was the overflow
of the Hoang-ho, an unruly stream, which from that
day to this has from time to time swept away its
banks and drowned its millions. Yu, the next em-
peror, drained off" the waters of the mighty flood,
—
which some have thought the same as the deluge
of Noah. This work occupied him for nine j'oars.
His last notable act was to denounce the invonlor
of an intoxicating drink made from rice, from which
he predicted untold misery to the people.
10
146 HISTORICAL TALES.
All this comes to us from tbc Confucian " Book of
Ilistor}'," wliich goes on with questionable stories
of many later emperors. They were not all good
and wise, like most of those named. Some of the
descendants of Yu became tyrants and pleasure-
seekers, their palaces the seats of scenes of crueltj^
and debauchery surpassing the deeds of Nero. Twoemperors in particular, Kee and Chow, are held up
as monsters of wickedness and examples of disso-
luteness beyond comparison. The last, under the in-
fluence of a woman named Ta-Ke, became a frightful
examjile of sensuality and cruelty. Among the inven-
tions of Ta-Ke was a cylinder of polished brass, along
which her victims were forced to walk over a bed of
fire below, she laughing in great glee if they slipped
and fell into the flames. In fact, Chinese invention
exhausts itself in describing the crimes and immoral
doings of this abominable pair, which, fortunately,
we are not obliged to believe.
Of the later emperors, Mou Wang, who came to
the throne about 1000 B.C., was famed as a builder
of palaces and public works, and was the first of the
emperors to come into conflict with the Tartai-s of
the Mongolian plains, who afterwards gave China
such endless trouble. He travelled into regions
before unknown, and brought a new breed of horses
into China, which, fed on " dragon grass," were able
to travel one thousand U in a day. As this distance
is nearl}' four hundred miles, it would be well for
modern horsemen if some of that dragon grass could
yet be found.
It is not worth while going on with the story of
HOW THE EMTIRE OF CHINA AROSE AND OREW. 1 H
these early monarcbs, of whom all wc know is so
brief and unimportant as not to be worth the telling,
while little of it is safe to believe. In the " burning
of the books," which took place later, most of the
ancient history disappeared, while the "Book of
History" of Confucius, which professes to have
taken from the earlier books all that was worth the
telling, is too meagre and unimportant in its story
to be of much value.
Yet, if we can believe all we are told, the historians
of China were at any time ready to become martyrs
in the cause of truth, and gave the story of the dif-
ferent reigns with singular fidelity and intrepidity.
Mailla relates the following incident: "In the reign
of the emperor Ling Wang of the Chow dynasty,
548 B.C., Chang Kong, Prince of Tsi, became enam-
oured of the wife of Tsouichow, a general, whoresented the affront and killed the prince. Thehistorians attached to the household of the prince
recorded the facts, and named Tsouichow as the
murderer. On learning this the general caused the
principal historian to be arrested and slain, and
appointed another in his place. But as soon as the
new historian entered upon his office he recorded the
exact facts of the whole occurrence, including the
death of his predecessor and the cause of his death.
Tsouichow was so much enraged at this that he
ordered all the members of the Tribunal of History
to be executed. But at once the whole literary class
in the principality of Tsi set to work exposing and
denouncing the conduct of Tsouichow, who soon
perceived that his wiser plan would be to reconstitute
148 HISTORICAL TALES.
the Tribunal and to allow it to follow its own de-
vices."
' Other stories to the same effect are told. They
are very likelj' cxaf;:gcrated, but there is good reason
to believe that the literary class of China were obsti-
nate to the verge of martyrdom in maintaining the
facts and traditions of the past, and that death sig-
nified to them less than dishonor. "We shall see a
striking instance of this in the story of Hoang-ti, the
burner of the books.
In the period to which we have now come, China
was far from being the great empire it is to-day. Onthe south it did not extend beyond the great river
Yang tsze Kiang, all the region to the south being
still held by the native tribes. On the north the
Tartar tribes occupied the steppes. At the fall of
the Chow dj-nasty, in 255 B.C., the empire extended
through five degrees of latitude and thirteen of
longitude, covering but a small fraction of its present
area.
And of this region only a minor portion could
fairly be claimed as imperial soil. The bulk of it
was held by feudal princes, whose ancestors had
probably conquered their domains ages before, and
some of whom held themselves equal to the em-
peror in power and pride. They acknowledged but
alight allegiance to the imperial government, and for
centuries the country was distracted by internal
Avarfare, until the great Hoang-ti, whose story wehave yet to tell, overthrew feudalism, and for the
first time united all China into a single empire.
The period that we have so rapidly run over
HOW TI]E E.Ml'lRE OF CHINA AROSE AND GREW. 149
embraces no less than two thousand years of jjarlly
authentic history, and a thousand or more years of
fabulous annals, during which China steadily grew,
though of what we know concerning it there is little
in which any absolute trust can be placed. Yet it
was in this period that China made its greatest
progress in literature and religious reform, and that
its great lawgivers appeared. With this phase of its
history wo shall deal in the succeeding tale.
CONFUCIUS, THE CHINESESAGE.
In the later years of the Chow dynasty appeared
the two greatest thinkers that China ever produced,
Laoutse, the first and ablest j)hilosopher of his race,
and Confucius, a practical thinker and reformer whohas had few equals in the world. Of Laoutse weknow little. Born 604 b.c, in humble life, he lived
in retirement, and when more than a hundred years
old began a journey to the west and vanished from
history. To the guardian of the pass through which
he sought the western regions he gave a book which
contained the thoughts of his life. This forms the
Bible of the Taouistic religion, which still has a large
following in China.
Confucius, or Kong-foo-tse, born 551 B.C., was as
practical in intellect as Laoutse was mystical, and
has exerted an extraordinary influence upon the
Chinese race. For this reason it seems important to
give some account of his career.
The story of his life exists in some detail, and maybe given in ejDitome. As a child he was distinguished
for his respect to older people, his gentleness, mo-
desty, and quickness of intellect. At nineteen he
married and was made a mandarin, being appointed
superintendent of the markets, and afterwards placed
in charge of the public fields, the sheep and cattle.
160
CONFUCIUS, THE CHINESE SAGE. 151
His ihdusliT was remarkable, and so great were his
improvements in agriculture that the whole face of
the country changed, and plenty succeeded pov-
erty.
At twentj'-two he became a public teacher, and
at thirty began the study of music, making such re-
markable progress in this art that from the study
of one piece he was able to describe the person of
the composer, even to his features and the expression
of his eyes. His teacher now gave him up. Thepupil had passed infinitely beyond his reach. At
the next important epoch in the life of Confucius
(499 B.C.) he had become one of the chief ministei's
of the king of Loo. This potentate fell into a dis-
pute with the rival king of Tsi, and an interview
between the two kings took place, in which a scheme
of treachery devised by the king of Tsi was baffled
by the vigilance and courage of the learned minister
of Loo.
But, the high precepts of Confucius proving too
exalted for the feeble virtue of his kingly employer,
the philosopher soon left his service, and entered
upon a period of travel and study, teaching the
people as he went, and constantly attended by a
number of disciples. His mode of illustrating his
precepts is indicated in an interesting anecdote.
'• As he was journeying, one day he saw a womanAveeping and wailing by a grave. Confucius inquired
the cause of her grief ' You weep as if you had
experienced sorrow upon sorrow,' said one of the
attendants of the sage. Tlie woman answered, ' It
is so: my husband's father was killed here by a
152 HISTORICAL TALES.
tiger, and my husband also; and now my son has
mot the same fate.' ' Why do you not leave the
place?' asked Confucius. On her replying, 'There
is here no oppressive government,' he turned to his
disciples and said, ' My children, remember this,
—
oppressive government is more cruel than a tiger.'
"
On another of their journeys they ran out of food
and one of the disciples, faint with hunger, asked the
sage, " Must the superior man indeed suffer in this
way ?" " The superior man may have to suffer want,"
answered Confucius, " but the mean man, when he is
in want, gives way to unbridled license." The last
five years of his life were spent in Loo, his native
state, in teaching and in finishing the works he had
long been writing.
Confucius was no philosopher in the ordinary
sense. He Avas a moral teacher, but devised no
system of religion, telling his disciples that the
demands of this world were quite enough to engage
the thoughts of men, and that the future might be
left to provide for itself. He cared nothing about
science and studied none of the laws of nature, but
devoted himself to the teaching of the principles of
conduct, with a wisdom and a practical commonsense that have never been surpassed.
Of all the great men who have lived upon the
earth, conquerors, writers, inventors, and others,
none have gained so wide a renown as this quiet
Chinese moral teacher, whose fame has reached the
ears of more millions of mankind than that of any
other man who has ever lived. To-day his descend-
ants form the only hereditary nobihty in China, with
CONFUCIUS, TUE CHINESE SAGE. 133
the exception of those of his great disciple Mencius,
who proved a worthy successor to the sage.
It is to Confucius that we owe nearly all we possess
of the early literature of China. Of what are knownas the "Five Classics," four are by his hand. The"Book of Changes," the oldest classic, was written
by a mystic named Wan Wang, who lived about 1150
B.C. It is highly revered, but no one pretends to
understand it. The works of Confucius include the
" Book of History," the " Book of Odes," the " Bookof Eites," and the "Spring and Autumn Annals," all
of them highly esteemed in China for the knowledge
they give of ancient days and ways.
The records of the early dynasties kept at the
imperial court were closely studied by Confucius,
who selected from them all that he thought worth
preserving. This he compiled into the SIloo Kiiuj, or
"Book of History." The contents of this work wehave condensed in the preceding tale. It consists
mainly of conversations between the kings and their
ministers, in which the principles of the patriarchal
Chinese government form the leading theme. "Donot be ashamed of mistakes, and thus make them
crimes," says one of these practical ministers.
The Le-ke^ or " Book of Eites," compiled from a
very ancient work, lays down exact rules of life for
Chinamen, which are still minutely obeyed. The
Chun Tsew, or "Spring and Autumn Annals," em-
braces a mere statement of events which occurred
in the kingdom of Loo, and contains very little of
historical and less of any other value. The " Book
of Odes," on the contrarj', possesses a great literary
154 HISTORICAL TALES.
vuluo, in preserving for us the poetic remains of
ancient China.
Literature in that country, as elsewhere, seems to
have begun with poetry, and of the songs and bal-
lads of the early period official collections of con-
siderable value were made. Not only at the impe-
rial court, but at those of the feudal lords, there
were literati whose duty it was to collect the songs
of the people and diligently to preserve the histori-
cal records of the emi:»ire. From the latter Con-
fucius compiled two of the books already named.
There also fell into his hands an official collection of
poems containing some three thousand pieces. These
the sage carefully edited, selecting such of them as
" would be serviceable for the inculcation of pro-
priety and righteousness." These poems, three hun-
dred and eleven in number, constitute the She King,
or "Book of Odes," forming a remarkable collec-
tion of primitive verses which breathe the spirit of
peace and simple life, broken by few sounds of war
or revelry, but yielding many traces of family affec-
tion, peaceful repose, and religious feeling.
These are not the only remains of the ancient Chi-
nese literature. There are four more books, which,
with the five named, make up the "Nine Classics."
These were written by the pupils and disciples of
Confucius, the most important being the Mang tsze,
or " Works of Meucius." They are records of the
sayings and doings of the two sages Confucius and
Mencius, whose remarkable precepts, like those of
the Greek sage Socrates, would have been lost to the
world but for the loving diligence of their disciples.
CONFUCIUS, THE CHINESE SAGE. 155
All this is not history in the ordinary sense. But
the men described, and particularly Confucius, have
had so potent an influence upon all that relates to
Chinese life and history, that sonie brief account of
them and their doings seemed indispensable to our
work.
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESEEMPIRE.
In the year 246 B.C. came to the throne of China
the most famous of all the monarchs of that ancient
empire, the celebrated Hoangti,—Tsin Chi Hoang-ti,
or " first sovereign emperor of the Tsins," to give
him his full title. Various stories are told by Chinese
historians of the origin of this great monarch, they
denying that he was of royal blood. They say that
he was the son of a woman slave who had been
bought by the emperor, and that the boy's real father
was a merchant, her former master. This storj-,
whether true or false, gave the young emperor muchtrouble in later years. His mother, afier he came to
the throne, grew so dissipated that he was forced to
punish her lover and banish her. And the merchant,
his reputed father, being given a place at court, be-
came eager for a higher position, and sought to in-
fluence the emperor by hints and whisperings of the
secret hold he possessed over him. Hoangti was not
the man to be dealt with in such a fashion, and the
intriguing merchant, finding a storm of vengeance
coming, poisoned himself to escape a worse fate.
Such are the stories told of the origin of the famous
emperor. They maj' not be true, for the historians
hated him, for reasons yet to be given, and made the
most of anything they could say against him. All
156
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 157
Ave arc sure of is that he ascended the throne at
the youthful age of thirteen, and even at that age
quick!}' made his influence widely felt. "What lay
before him was practically the conquest of China,
Avhose great feudal lords were viriuallj- independent
of the throne, and had, not long before, overwhelmed
the imperial armies.
Fortunately for the young emperor, the great
princes, having no fear of a boy, either disbanded
their forces or quarrelled among themselves, two
of the most powerful of them declaring war upon
each other. Taking advantage of these dissensions,
Hoangti gained, step by step, the desired control
of his foes. Ouki, a great general in the interest
of the princes, was disgraced by the aid of bribery
and falsehood, several of the strong cities of the
princes were seized, and when they entered the field
against the emperor their armies, no longer led by
the able Ouki, were easily defeated. Thus steadily
the power of the youthful monarch increased and
that of his opponents fell away, the dismembered
empire of China slowly growing under his rule into
a coherent whole.
Meanwhile war arose with foreign enemies, whoappeared on the western and northern boundaries
of the empire. In this quarter the Tartar ti'ibes of
the desert had long been troublesome, and now a
great combination of these warlike nomads, knownas the Ileung-nou,—perhaps the same as the Hunswho afterwards devastated Europe,—broke into the
defenceless border provinces, plundering and slaugh-
tering wherever they appeared. Against this danger-
158 HISTORICAL TALES.
ous oncni}' the emperor manifested the same energy
that he had done against his domestic foes. Collect-
ing a great army, three hundred thousand strong, he
marched into their country and overthrew them in a
series of signal victories. In the end those in the
vicinitj^ of China were exterminated, and the others
driven to take refuge in the mountains of Mongolia.
This success was followed by a remarkable per-
formance, one of the most stupendous in the history
of the world. Finding that several of the northern
states of the empire wei'e building lines of fortifi-
cation along their northern frontiers for defence
against their Tartar enemies, the emperor conceived
the extraordinar}" project of building a gigantic wall
along the whole northern boundary of China, a great
bulwark to extend from the ocean on the east to
the interior extremity of the modern province of
Kan-suh on the west. This woi*k was begun under
the direct supervision of the emperor in 214 B.C., and
prosecuted with the sleepless energy for which he
had made himself famous. Tireless as he was, how-
ever, the task was too great for one man to perform,
and it was not completed until after his death.
This extraordinary work, perhaps the greatest
ever undertaken by the hand of man, extends over a
length of twelve hundred and fifty-five miles, the wall
itself, if measured throughout its sinuous extent, be-
ing fully fifteen hundred miles in length. Over this
vast reach of mountain and plain it is carried, regard-
less of hill or vale, but " scaling the precipices andtopping the craggy hills of the country." It is not a
solid mass, but is composed of two retaining walls of
THE KOTNDER OF TEIE CHINESE EMPIRE. 159
biiclv, built uj)on granite fouiulations, while the space
between them is filled with earth and stones. It is
about twenty-five feet wide at base and fifteen at
top, and varies from fifteen to thirty feet in height,
with frequent towers rising above its general level.
At the top a pavement of bricks—now overgrown
with grass—forms a surface finish to the work.
How inany thousands or hundreds of thousands
of the industrious laborers of China spent their lives
upon this stupendous work history does not tell. It
stands as a striking monument of the magnificent
conceptions of Hoangti, and of the patient industry
of his subjects, beside which the building of the
great pyi'amid of Egypt sinks into insignificance.
Yet, as history has abundantly proved, it was a
waste of labor so far as answering its purpose wasconcerned. In the hands of a strong emperor like
Hoangti it might well defy the Tartar foe. In the
hands of many of his weak successors it proved of
no avail, the hordes of the desert swarming like
ants over its undefended reaches, and pouring upon
the feeble country that sought defence in walls, not
in men.
While this vast building operation was going on,
Hoangti had his hands so full with internal wars
that he adopted the custom of sitting on his throne
witli a naked sword in his hand, significant of his
unceasing alertness against his foes. Not until his
reign was near its end was he able to return this
emblem of war to its scabbard and enjoy for a few
years the peace he had so ably won.
No sooner had the great emperor finished his
160 HISTORICAL TALES.
camj^aign of victory against the Ileung-nou Tartars
than ho found himself confronted by enemies at home,
the adherents of the remaining feudal princes whose
independent jiower was threatened. The first with
whom he came in contact was the powerful prince
of Chow, several of whose cities he captured, the
neighboring prince of Han being so terrified by this
success that he surrendered without a contest. In
accordance with Hoangti's method, the prince was
forced to yield his power and retire to private life
in the dominions of the conqueror.
Chow^ still held out, under an able general, Limou,
who defied the emperor and defeated his armies.
Hoangti, finding himself opposed by an abler manthan an}' he had under his command, employed
against him the same secret ai'ts by which he had
before disposed of the valiant Ouki. A courtier was
bribed to malign the absent general and poison the
mind of the prince against the faithful commanderof his forces. The intrigue was successful, Limouwas recalled from his command, and on his refusing
to obey was assassinated by order of the prince.
Hoangti had gained his end, and his adversary
soon paid dearly for his lack of wisdom and justice.
His dominions were overrun, his capital, Hantan,
was taken and sacked, and he and his family became
prisoners to one who was not noted for mercy to
his foes. The large province of Chow was added to
the empire, which was now growing with surprising
rapidity.
This enem}^ disposed of, Hoangti had another with
whom to deal. At his court resided Prince Tan, heir
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE. IGl
of the ruler of Yen. "Whether out of settled policy
or from whim, the emperor insulted this visitor so
flagrantly that he fled the court, burning for revenge.
As the most direct way of obtaining this, he hired
an assassin to murder Iloangti, inducing him to
accept the task by promising him the title of "Lib-
erator of the Empire." The plot was nearly success-
ful. Finding it very difficult to obtain an audience
with the emperor, Kinkou, the assassin, succeeded
in an extraordinary way, by inducing Fanyuki, a
proscribed rebel, to commit suicide. In some unex-
plained way Kinkou made use of this desperate act
to obtain the desired audience. Only the alertness
of the emperor now saved him from death. His
quick e3'e caught the attempt of the assassin to drawhis poniard, and at once, with a sweeping blow of
his sabre, he severed his leg from his body, hurling
him bleeding and helpless to the floor.
Houngti's retribution did not end with the death
of the assassin. Learning that Prince Tan was the
real culprit, he gave orders for the instant invasion
of Yen,—a purpose which perhaps he had in view
in his insult to the prince. The ruler of that state,
to avert the emperor's wrath, sent him the head of
Tan, whom he had ordei*ed to execution. But as
the army continued to advance, he fled into the wilds
of Lea-vu tung, abandoning his' territory to the in-
vader. In the same year the kingdom of Wei wasinvaded, its capital taken, and its ruler sent to the
Chinese capital for execution.
Only one of the great principalities now remained,
that of Choo, but it was more formidable than any11
1G2 HISTORICAL TALES.
of those yet assailed. Great preparations and a
lai'ge army were needed for this enterprise, and the
emperor asked his generals how many men would be
required for the task of conquest.
"Two hundred thousand will be abundant," said
Lisin ;" I will promise you the best results with that
number of men."
"What have you to say?" asked the emperor of
Wang Tsein, his oldest and most experienced com-
mander." Six hundred thousand will be needed," said the
cautious old general.
These figures, given in history, may safely be cred-
ited with an allowance for the exaggeration of the
writers.
The emperor approved of Lisin's estimate, and
gave him the command, dismissing the older war-
rior as an over-cautious dotard. The event told a
different tale. Lisin was surprised during his march
and driven back in utter defeat, losing forty thousand
men, as the records say, in the battle and the pur-
suit. What became of the defeated braggart history
fails to state. If he survived the battle, he could
hardly have dared to present himself again before his
furious master.
Hoangti now sent for the veteran whom he had
dismissed as a dotard, and asked him to take com-
mand of the troops.
" Six hundred thousand : no less will serve," re-
peated the old man." You shall have all you ask for," answered the
emperor.
THE FOUNDER OP THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 1G3
This vast host collected, the question of supplies
presented itself as a serious matter.
"Do not let that trouble you," said the emperor
to his general. "I have taken steps to provide
for that, and promise j'ou that provisions are more
likely to be wanting in my palace than in your
camp."
The event proved the soundness of the old war-
rior's judgment and his warlike skill. A great bat-
tle soon took place, in which Wang Tsein, taking
advantage of a false movement of tlie cnoni}-, drove
him in panic flight from the field. This was soon
followed by the complete conquest of the princi-
pality, whose cities were strongly garrisoned by im-
perial troops, and its rulers sent to the capital to
experience the fate of the preceding princely cap-
tives. The subjection of several smaller provinces
succeeded, and the conquest of China was at length
complete.
The feudal principalities, which had been the suc-
cessors of the independent kingdoms into which the
Chinese territory was originally divided, were thus
overthrown, the ancient local dynasties being exter-
minated, and their territories added to the dominion
of the Tsins. The unity of the empire was at
length established, and the great conqueror became" the first universal emperor."
Iloangti the Great, as we may justly designate the
man who first formed a united Chinese t'lnj^ire, and
to whom the mighty conception of the Groat AVall
was due, did not exhaust his energies in these varied
labors. Choosing as his capital lleenyang (now Se-
164 HISTORICAL TALES.
gan Foo), he built himself there a palace of such
magnificence as to make it the wonder and admira-
tion of the age. This was erected outside the city,
on so vast a scale that ten thousand men could be
drawn up in order of battle in one of its courts.
Attached to it were magnificent gardens, the whole
being known as the Palace of Delight. Within the
city he had another palace, of grand dimensions, its
hall of audience being adorned with twelve gigantic
statues made from the spoils of his many campaigns,
each of them weighing twelve thousand pounds.
The capital was otherwise highly embellished, and
an edict required that all weapons should be sent
to the arsenal in that city, there being no longer
danger of civil war, and " peace being universal."
This measure certainly tended to prevent war. and" the skilful disarming of the provinces added daily
to the wealth and prosperity of the capital."
The empire of China thus being, for the first time
in its history, made a centralized one, Hoangti di-
vided it into thirty-six provinces, and set out on a
tour of inspection of the vast dominions which ac-
knowledged him as sole lord and master. Governors
and sub-governors were appointed in each province,
the stability of the organization adoj^ted being evi-
denced by the fact that it still exists. The most
important result of the imperial journe}' was the
general improvement of the roads of the empire.
It was the custom, when a groat man visited anydistrict, to repair the roads which he would need to
traverse, while outside his line of march the high-
ways were of a very imperfect character. Hoangti
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 105
was well aware of this custom, and very likely be
may have convinced himself of the true condition
of the roads by sudden detours from the prescribed
route. At all events, he made the following notable
remarks
:
" These roads have been made expre.s.sly for me,
and are very satisfactory. But it is not just that
I alone should enjoy a convenience of whioh mysubjects have still greater need, and one which I
can give them. Therefore I decree that good roads
shall be made in all directions throughout the em-
pire."
In these few words he set in train a far more use-
ful work than the Great Wall. High-roads were laid
out on a grand scale, traversing the empire from end
to end, and the public spirit of the great emperor is
attested by the noble system of highways which
still remain, more than two thousand years after his
death.
Having said so much in favor of Iloangti, wohave now to show the reverse of the shield, in de-
scribing that notable act which has won him the
enmity of the literary class, not only in China but
in the whole world. This was the celebrated " burn-
ing of the books." Hoangti was essentially a re-
former. Time-honored ceremonies were of little im-
portance in his e^-es when they stood in the way of
the direct and practical, and he abolished hosts of
g,ncient customs that had grown wearisome and un-
meaning. This sweeping away of the drift-wood of
the past was far from agreeable to the officials, to
whom formalism and precedent were as the breath
166 HISTORICAL TALES.
of life. One of ihe ancient customs required the em-
perors to ascend high mountains and offer sacrifices
on their summits. The literary class had ancient
rule and precedent for every step in this ceremony,
and so sharply criticised the emperor's disregard of
these observances that they roused his anger. " Youvaunt the simplicity of the ancients," he impatiently
said; "you should then be satisfied with me, for I
act in a simpler fashion than they did." Finally
he closed the controversy with the stern remark," When I have need of you I will let you know myorders."
The literati of China have alwaj'S been notable
for the strength of their convictions and the obsti-
nate courage with Avhich they express their opinions
at all risks. They were silenced for the present, but
their anger, as well as that of the emperor, only
slumbered. Five j-ears afterwards it was reawak-
ened. Hoangti had summoned to the capital all the
governors and high oflScials for a Grand Council of
the Empire. With the men of affairs came the menof learning, many of them wedded to theories and
traditions, who looked upon Hoangti as a danger-
ous iconoclast, and did not hesitate to express their
opinion.
It was the most distinguished assembly that had
ever come together in China, and, gathered in that
magnificent palace which was adorned with the
spoils of conquered kingdoms, it reflected the highest
honor on the great emperor who had called it to-
gether and who presided over its deliberations. Butthe hardly concealed hostility of the literati soon
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 1G7
disturbed the harmony of the council. In response
to the emperor, who asked for candid expressions
of opinion upon his government and legislation, a
courtier arose with words of high praise, ending
with, " Truly you have surpassed the very greatest
of your predecessors even at the most remote period."
The men of books broke into loud murmurs at this
insult to the heroes of their admiration, and one of
them sprang angrily to his feet, designating the
former 8j)eaker as " a vile flatterer unworthy of the
high position w'hich he occupied," and continuing
with unstinted praise of the early rulers. His
oration, which showed much more erudition than
discretion, ended by advocating a reversal of the
emperor's action, and aredivision of the empire into
feudal principalities.
Hoangti, hot with anger, curtly reminded the
speaker that that point was not open to discussion,
it having already been considered and decided. Hethen called on Lisseh, his minister, to state again the
reasons for the unity of the empire. The speech of
the minister is one of high importance, as giving the
ostensible reasons for the unexampled act of de-
struction by which it was followed.
"It must be admitted," he said, " after what wohave just heai'd, that men of letters are, as a rule,
very little acquainted with what concerns the gov-
ernment of a country,—not that government of pure
speculation, which is nothing more than a phantom,
vanishing the nearer we approach to it, but the
practical government which consists in keeping menwithin the sphere of their practical duties. With
168 HISTORICAL TALES.
all their pretence of knowledge, they are, in this
matter, densely ignorant. They can tell you by
heart everything which has happened in the past,
back to the most remote period, but they are, or
seem to be, ignorant of what is being done in these
later daj'S, of what is passing under their very eyes.
Incapable of discerning that the thing which was
formerly suitable would be wholly out of place to-
day, they would have everything arranged in exact
imitation of what the}' find written in their books."
lie went on to denounce the men of learning as a
class uninfluenced b}' the spirit of existing affairs
and as enemies of the public weal, and concluded
by saying, "Now or never is the time to close the
mouths of these secret enemies, to place a curb upon
their audacity."
He spoke the sentiments of the emperor, who had
probably already determined upon his course of
action. Having no regard for books himself, and
looking upon them as the weapons of his banded
foes, he issued the memorable order that all the books
of the empire should be destroj'ed, making exception
only of those that treated of medicine, agriculture,
architecture, and astronomy. The order included
the works of the great Confucius, who had edited
and condensed the more ancient books of the em-
pire, and of his noble disciple Mencius, and was of
the most tyrannical and oppressive character. All
books containing historical records, except those re-
lating to the existing reign, were to be burned, and
all who dared even to speak together about the
Confucian "Book of Odes" and "Book of History"
THE FOUNDER OP THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 1G9
were condemned to execution. All who should
even make mention of the past, so as to blame the
present, were, with all their relatives, to be put to
death; and any one found, after thirty daj-s, with a
book in his possession was to bo branded and sent
to work for four years on the Great Wall. Hoangti
did not confine himself to words. The whole empire
was searched for books, and all found were burned,
while large numbers of the literati who had dis-
obeyed the edict were arrested, and four hundred and
sixty of them were buried alive in a great pit dug for
that purpose.
It nuiy well bo that Iloangti had his own fame
largely in view in this unprecedented act, as in his
preceding wall-building and road-making. He mayhave proposed to sweep away all earlier records of
the empire and make it seem to have sprung into
existence full-fledged with his reign. But if he had
such a purpose, he did not take fully into account
the devotion of men of learning to their cherished
manuscripts, nor the powers of the human memorj'.
Books were hidden in the roofs and walls of dwell-
ings, buried underground, and in some cases even
concealed in the beds of rivers, until after the
tyrant's death. And when a subsequent monarch
sought to restore these records of the past, van-
ished tomes reappeared from the most unlooked-for
places. As for the " Book of History" of Confucius,
which had disappeared, twenty-eight sections of the
hundred composing it were taken down from the
lips of an aged blind man who had treasured them
in his memory, and one was obtained from a young
170 HISTORICAL TALES.
girl. The others were lost until 140 B.C., -when, in
pulling down the house of the great philosopher, a
complete copy of the work was found hidden in its
walls. As for the scientific works that were spared,
none of them have come down to our day.
We shall now briefly complete our story of the
man who made himself the most thoroughly hated
of all Chinese monarchs by the literati of that
realm. Organizing his troops into a strong standing
army, he engaged in a war of conquest in the south,
adding Tonquin and Cochin China to his dominions,
and carrying his arms as far as Bengal. In the
north he again sent his armies into the desert to
chastise the troublesome nomads, and then, conceiv-
ing that no advantage was to be gained in extending
his empire over these domains of barbarism, he em-
ployed the soldiers as aids in the task of building the
Great Wall, adding to them a host of the industrial
population of the north.
In 210 B.C. Hoangti was seized with some malady
which he failed to treat as he did his enemies. Neg-
lecting the simplest remedial measures, be came
suddenly to the end of his career after a reign of
fifty-one years. With him were buried many of his
wives and large quantities of treasure, a custom of
barbarous origin which was confined in China to the
chiefs of Tsin. Magnificent in his ideas and fond of
splendor, he despised formality, lived simply in the
midst of luxury, and distinguished himself from
other Chinese rulers by making walking his favorite
exercise. While not great as a soldier, he knew howto choose soldiers, and in his administration was
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE. 171
wise enough to avail himself of the advice of the
ablest ministers.
Yet with all his greatness he could not provide for
the birth of a great son. Upon his death disturb-
ances broke out in all quarters of the realm, with
which his weak successor was unable to cope. In
three years the reign of his son was closed with as-
sassination, while the grandson of Hoangti, defeated
in battle after a six weeks' nominal reign, ended his
life in murder or suicide. With him the dynasty of
the Tsins passed away and that of the Ilan mon-
archs succeeded. Hoangti stands alone as the great
man of his race.
KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTYOF THE HANS.
After the death of the great Hoangti, two of his
generals fought for the throne of China,— Lieou-
Pang, who represents, in the Chinese annals, intel-
lect, and Pa Wang, representing brute force, unin-
spired by thought. Destiny^ if we can credit the
following tale, had chosen the former for the throne.
" A noted physiognomist once met bim on the high-
road, and, throwing himself down before him, said,
' I see by the expression of your features that you
are destined to be emperor, and I offer you in antici-
pation the tribute of respect that a subject owes his
sovereign. I have a daughter, the fairest and wisest
in the empire ; take her as your wife. So confident
am I that my prediction will be realized that I gladly
offer her to you.'"
However that be, the weak descendants of Hoangti
soon vanished from the scene, Pa Wang was over-
come in battle, and the successful general seized the
imperial throne. He chose, as emperor, the title of
Kaotsou, and named his dynasty, from his native
province, the Han. It was destined to continue for
centuries in power.
The new emperor showed himself a worthy suc-
cessor of the builder of the Great Wall, while he
made every eifort to restore to the nation its books,
172
KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTY OF THR HANS. 173
encourafrine: men of letters and seekinir to lecover
such literature as had survived the great burning.
In this way lie provided for his future fame at the
hands of the grateful literati of China. Amnestyto all who had opposed him was proclaimed, and re-
gret expressed at the sufferings of the people " from
the evils which follow in the train of war."
The merit of Kaotsou la}' largel}' in the great
public works witjj which he emulated the policy of
his energetic predecessor. The "Loft}' and August
Emperor" (^Kao Hoangti), as he entitled himself, did
not propose to be thrown into the shade by any whohad gone before. On taking the throne ho chose as
his capital the city of Loyang (now Ilonan), but
subsequently selected the city of Singanfoo, in the
western province of Shensi. This city lay in a nest
of mountains, which made it very difficult of ap-
proach. It was not without advantages from its
situation as the capital of the empire, but could not
be reached from the south without long detours.
Possibly this difficulty may have had something to
do wnth its choice by the emperor, that he might
display his genius in overcoming obstacles.
To construct roads across and to cut avenues
through the mountains an army of workmen, one
hundred thousand in number, became necessary.
The deep intervening valleys wtu'e filled up to the
necessary level by the spoils rent from the lofty ad-
joining mountains, and where this could not bo done,
great bridges, supported on strong and high pillars,
were thrown across from side to side. Elsewhere
suspension bridges— '• flying bridges," as the Chinese
174 HISTORICAL TALES.
call them—were thrown across deep and rugged
ravines, wide enough for four horsemen to travel
abreast, their sides being protected by high balus-
trades. One of these, one hundred and fifty yards
long, and thrown over a valley more than five
hundred feet deep, is said to be still in perfect con-
dition. These suspension bridges were built nearly
two thousand years before a work of this character
was attempted in Europe. In truth, the period in
question, including several centuries before Christ,
was the culminating age of Chinese civilization, in
which appeared its great religious reformers, philos-
ophers, and authors, its most daring engineers, and
its monarchs of highest public spirit and broadest
powers of conception and execution. It was the age
of the Great Wall, the imperial system of highways,
the sj-stem of canals (though the Great Canal was
of later date), and other important works of public
utility.
By the strenuous labors described Kaotsou ren-
dered his new capital easy of access from all quarters
of the kingdom, while at frequent intervals along
the great high-roads of the empire there were built
post-houses, caravansaries, and other conveniences,
80 as to make travelling rather a pleasure than the
severe task it formerly had been.
The capital itself was made as attractive as the
means of reaching it were made easy. Siaho, at once
an able war minister and a great builder, planned
for the emperor a jJ^lace so magnificent that Kaotsou
hesitated in ordering its erection. Siaho removed
his doubts with the following argument : You
KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTY OF THE HANS. 175
should look upon all the empire as your family' ; and
if the grandeur of your palace does not correspond
with that of your family, what idea will it give of
its power and greatness?"
This argument suflSced : the palace was built, and
Kaotsou celebrated its completion with festivities
continued for several weeks. On one occasion dur-
ing this period, uplifted Avith a full sense of the
dignity to which he had attained, his pride found
vent in the grandiloquent remark, " To-day I feol
that I am indeed emperor, and perceive all the dif-
ference between a subject and his master."
His fondness for splendor was indicated by mag-
nificent banquets and receptions, and his sense of
dignity by a court ceremonial which must have
proved a wearisome ordeal for his courtiers, though
noiie dared infringe it for fear of dire consequences.
ThoHC who had aided him in his accession to power
were abundantly rewarded, with one exception, that
of his father, who seems to have been overlooked in
the distribution of favors. The old man, not relish-
ing thus being left at the foot of the ladder, took
prompt occasion to remind his son of his claims.
Dressing himself in his costliest garments, he pre-
sented himself at the foot of the throne, where, in a
speech of deep humility, he designated himself as
the least yet the most obedient subject of the realm.
Kaotsou, thus admonished, at once called a council
of ministers and had the old man proclaimed '• the
lesser emperor." Taking him b}' the hand, he led
him to a chair at the foot of the throne as his future
seat. This act of the emperor won him the highest
17G HISTORICAL TALES.
commendation from his subjects, the Chinese looking
upon respect to and veneration of parents as the
duty surpassing all others and the highest evidence
of virtue.
Siaho, the palace-builder and war minister, had
been specially favored in this giving of rewards,
much to the discontent of the leading generals, whoclaimed all the credit for the successes in war, and
were disposed to look with contempt on this mere
cabinet warrior. Hearing of their complaints, Kao-
tsou summoned them to his presence, and thus
plainly expressed his opinion of their claims :
" You find, I am told, reason to complain that I
have rewarded Siaho above yourselves. Tell me,
who are they at the chase who pursue and capture
the prey? The dogs.—But who direct and urge on
the dogs? Are they not the hunters?—You have
all worked hard for me;you have pursued your
prey with vigor, and at last captured and overthrown
it. In this you deserve the credit which one gives
to the dogs in the chase. But the merit of Siaho is
that of the hunter. It is he who has conducted the
whole of the war, who regulated everything, ordered
you to attack the enemy at the opportune moment,
and by his tactics made 3^ou master of the cities and
provinces you have conquered. On this account he
deserves the credit of the hunter, who is more worthy
of reward than are the dogs whom he sets loose upon
the prey."
One further anecdote is told of this emperor,
which is worth repeating, as its point was aptlj'
illustrated in a subsequent event. Though he had
KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTY OF THE HANS. 177
won the empire by the sword, he was not looked
upon as a great general, and on one occasion asl^ed
Hansin, his ablest officer, how many men he thought
he (the emperor) could lead with credit in the field.
"Sire," said the plain-spoken general, "you can
lead an army of a hundred thousand men very well.
But that is all."
" And how many can you lead ?"
" The more I have the better I shall lead them,"
was the self-confident answer.
The event in which the justice of this criticism
was indicated arose during a subsequent war with
the Tartars, who had resumed their inroads into the
empire. The Heung-nou were at this period gov-
erned by two leading chiefs, Mehe and Tonghou,
the latter arrogant and ambitious, the former well
able to bide his time. The story goes that Tonghousent to Mehe a demand for a favorite horse. His
kinsmen advised him to refuse, but Mehe sent the
horse, saying, " Would you quarrel with your neigh-
bor for a horse ?" Tonghou soon after sent to de-
mand of Mehe one of his wives. Mehe again com-
plied, saying to his friends, " Would you have meundertake a war for the sake of a woman ?" Tong-
hou, encouraged by these results of his insolence,
next invaded Mehe's dominions. The patient chief,
now fully prepared, took the field, and in a brief
time had dispersed Tonghou's army, captured and
executed him, and made himself the principal chief
of the clans.
This able leader, having jtunished his insolent
desert foe, soon led his warlike followers into China,
12
178 HISTORICAL TALES.
took possession of many fertile districts, extended
his authority to the banks of tlie Iloang-ho, and
sent plundering expeditions into the rich provinces
bej'ond. In the war that followed the emperor him-
self took command of his troops, and, too readily
believing the stories of the weakness of the Tartar
army told by his scouts, resolved on an immediate
attack. One of his generals warned him that " in
war we should never despise an enemy," but the
emperor refused to listen, and marched confidently
on, at the head of his advance guard, to find the
enemy.
He found him to his sorrow. Mehe had skilfully
concealed his real strength for the purpose of draw-
ing the emperor into a trap, and now, by a well-
directed movement, cut oflF the rash leader from his
main army and forced him to take refuge in the
cit}' of Pingching. Here, vastly outnumbered and
short of provisions, the emperor found himself in a
desperate strait, from which he could not escape by
force of arms.
In this dilemma one of his ofiicers suggested a
possible method of release. This was that, as a last
chance, the most beautiful virgin in the city should
be sent as a peace-offering to the desert chief.
Kaotsou acccjDted the plan.—nothing else presenting
itself,—and the maiden was chosen and sent. She
went willingly, it is said, and used her utmost arts
to captivate the Tartar chief. She succeeded, and
Mehe, after forcing Kaotsou to sign an ignominious
treaty, suffered his prize to escape, and retired to
the desert, well satisfied with the rich spoils he had
KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTY OF THE HANS. 179
won. Kaotsou was just enough to I'cward the gen-
eral to whose warning he had refused to listen, but
the scouts who had misled hira paid dearly for their
false reports.
This event seems to have inspired Kaotsou with
an unconquerable fear of his desert foe. who was
soon back again, jiilhiging the borders with impunity
and making such daring inroads that the capital
itself was not safe from tlieir assaults. Instead of
trusting to his army, the emperor now bought off
his enemy in a more discreditable method than be-
fore, concluding a treaty in which he acknowledged
Mehe as an independent ruler and gave him his
daughter in marriage.
This weakness led to revolts in the empire, Kao-
tsou being forced again to take the field against his
foes. But, worn out with anxiety and misfortune,
his end soon approached, his death-bed being dis-
turbed b}' palace intrigues concerning the succession,
in which one of his favorite wives sought to have
her son selected as the heir. Kaotsou. not heeding
her petition, chose his eldest son as the heir-apparent,
and soon after died. The tragic results of these in-
trigues for the crown will be seen in the following
tale.
THE LUCRETIA BORGIA OFCHINA.
About two centuries before Christ a woman came
to the head of affairs in China whose deeds recall
the worst of those which have long added infamy
to the name of Lucretia Borgia. As regards the
daughter of the Boi'gias tradition has lied: she wasnot the merciless murderess of fancy and fame.
But there is no mitigation to the story of the em-
press Liuchi, who, with poison as her weapon, madeherself supreme dictator of the great Chinese realm.
The death of the great emperor Kaotsou left two
aspirants for the throne, the princes Hoeiti. son of
Liuchi, and Chow Wang, son of the empress Tsi.
There was a palace plot to raise Chow Wang to the
throne, but it was quickly foiled by the effective
means used by the ambitious Liuchi to remove the
rivals from the path of her son. Poison did the work.
The empress Tsi unsusj^iciously quaffed the fatal
bowl, which was then sent to Chow Wang, who inno-
cently drank the same perilous draught. Whatever
may have been tlie state of the conspiracy, this vig-
orous method of the queen-mother brought it to a
sudden end, and Hoeiti ascended the throne.
The yoting emperor seeminglj- did not approve of
ascending to power over the dead bodies of his oppo-
nents. He reproved his mother for her cruel deed,
180
THE LUCRETIA BORGIA OF CHINA. 181
and made a public statement that he had taken no
part in the act. Yet under this public demonstration
secret influences seem to have been at work within
the palace walls, for the imperial poisoner retained
her power at court and her influence over her son.
When the great princes sought the capital to render
homage to the new emperor, to their surprise and
chagrin they found the unscrupulous dowager em-
press at the head of afl'airs, the sceptre of the realm
practically in her hands.
They were to And that this dreadful woman was a
dangerous foe to oppose. Among the potentates was
Tao Wang, Prince of Tsi, who, after doing homageto the young emperor, was invited to feast with him.
At this banquet Liuchi made her appearance, and
when the wine was passed she insisted on being
served first. These unpardonable breaches of eti-
quette—which they were in the Chinese code of good
manners—were looked upon with astonishment bythe visiting prince, who made no eff'ort to conceal his
displeasure on seeing any one attempt to drink before
the emperor.
Liuchi, perceiving that she had made an enemy by
her act, at once resolved to remove him from her
path, with the relentless and terrible decision with
which she had disposed of her former rivals. Cov-
ertly dropping the poison, which she seems to have
always had ready for use, into a goblet of wine, she
presented it to the j)rinc'e of Tsi, asking hiin to pledge
her in a draught. The unsuspicious guest took the
goblet from her hand, without a dream of what the
courtesy meant.
182 HISTORICAL TALES.
Fortunately for him, the emperor, who distrusted
his mother too deeply to leave her unobserved, had
seen her seeret act and knew too well what it meant.
Snatching the fatal bowl from the prince's hand, ho
begged permission to pledge bis health in that wine,
and, with his eyes fixed meaningly on his mother's
face, lifted it in turn to his royal lips.
The startled woman had viewed the act with wide
eyes and trembling limbs. Seeing her son apparently
on the point of drinking, an involuntary cry of
warning burst from her, and, springing hastily to
her feet, she snatched the fatal cup from his hand
and dashed it to tbe floor. The secret was revealed.
The prince of Tsi had been on the very point of
death. With an exclamation of horror, and a keen
invective addressed to the "murderess, he rushed from
that perilous room, and very probably was not long
in hastening from a city which held so powerful and
unscrupulous a foe.
The Chinese Borgia's next act of violence found a
barbarian for its victim. The Tartar chief Mehesent an envoy to the capital of China, with a message
which aroused the anger of the empress, who at once
ordered him to be executed, heedless of the fact that
she thus brought the nation to the brink of war.
Four years afterwards Hoeiti, the emperor, died,
leaving vacant the throne which he had so feebly
filled.
It is not to be supposed that Liuchi had any hand
in this closing of a brief and uneventful reign. Herson was in no sense in her way, and served as a use-
ful shield behind which she held the reins of gov-
THE LUCRETIA BORGIA OF CHINA. 183
eT'nmeiit. But she was in no haste to fill the vacant
throne, preferriiii^ to rule openly as the supreme
power in the realm. In order to consolidate her
strength, she placed her brothers and near relations
in the great posts of the empire, and strengthened
her position by every means fair and foul.
It soon became evident, however, that this ambi-
tious scheme could not be carried through. Through-
out the land went up a cry for a successor to the
dead emperoi". In this dilemma the daring womanadopted a bold plan, bringing forward a boy whoshe declared was the offspring of her dead son, and
placing this child of unknown parents upon the
vacant throne. As a regent was needed durint; the
minority of her counterfeit grandson, she had herself
proclaimed as the holder of this high office.
All this was very little to the taste of the ministers
of the late emperor. Never before had the govern-
ment of China been in the hands of a woman. Butthey dared not make an effort to change it, or even
to speak their sentiments in too loud a tone. Liuchi
had ways of sup])ressing discontent that forced her
enemies to hold their peace. The only one who ven-
tured to question the arbitrary will of the regent
was the mother of the nominal emperor, and sudden
death removed her from the scene. Liuchi's ready
moans of vengeance had been brought into play
again.
For years now the imperious empress ruled China
unquestioned. Others who ventured on her path
mixy have fallen, but the people remained content, so
that the usurper seems to have avoided any oppres-
184 HISTORICAL TALES.
sion of her subjects. But these years brought the
child she had placed on the throne well on towards
man's estate, and he began to show signs of an inten-
tion to breali loose from leading-strings. He was
possessed of ability, or at least of energy, and there
were those ready to whisper in his ear the bitter tale
of how his mother had been forced to swallow Liu-
chi's draught of death.
Stirred to grief and rage by these whispers of a
fell deed, the youthful ruler vowed revenge upon the
murderess. He vowed his own death in doing so.
His hasty words were carried by spies to Liuchi's
ears, and with her usual promptness she caused the
imprudent youth to be seized and confined within
the palace prison. The puppet under whom she
ruled had proved inconvenient, and there was not a
moment's hesitation in putting him out of the way.
What became of him is not known, the jn-ison rarely
revealing its secrets, but from Liuchi's character wemay safely surmise his fate.
The regent at once set to work to choose a more
pliant successor to her rebelHous tool. But her cup
of crime was nearly full. Though the people re-
mained silent, there was deep discontent among the
oflScials of the realm, while the nobles were fiercely
indignant at this virtual seizure of the throne by an
ambitious woman. The storm grew day by day.
One great chief boldly declared that he acknowledged" neither empress nor emperor," and the family of
the late monarch Kaotsou regained their long-lost
courage on perceiving these evidences of a spirit of
revolt.
THE LUCRETIA BOROIA OF CHINA. 185
Dangers were gaibcring around the resolute re-
gent. But her party was strong, her hand firm, lier
courage and energy great, and she would perhaps
have triumphed over all her foes had not the prob-
lem been unexpectedly solved by her sudden deatb.
The story goes that, while walking one day in the
palace halls, meditating upon the best means of
meeting and defeating her numerous foes, she found
herself suddenly face to face with a hideous spectre,
around which rose the shades of the victims whomshe had removed by poison or violence from her
path. With a spasm of ten*or the horrified womanfell and died. Conscience had smitten her in the
form of this terrific vision, and retribution came to
the poisoner in the halls which she had made in-
famous by her crimes.
Her death ended the hopes of her friends. Iler
party fell to pieces throughout the realm, but a strong
force still held the palace, where they fiercely de-
fended themselves against the army brought by their
foes. But their great empress leader was gone, one
by one the}* fell in vain defence, and the capture of
the palace put an end to the power which the womanusurper had so long and vigorously maintained.
THE INVASION OF THE TARTARSTEPPES.
Many as hav^e been the wars of China, the Chinese
are not a warlike peoi^le. Their wars have mostly
been fought at home to repress rebellion or overcome
feudal lords, and during the long historj' of the na-
tion its armies have rarely crossed the borders of the
empire to invade foreign states. In fact, the chief
aggressive movements of the Chinese have been
rather wars of defence than of offence, wars forced
upon them by the incessant sting of invasions from
the desert tribes.
For ages the Tartars made China their plunder-
ground, crossing the borders in rapid raids against
which the Great Wall and the frontier forces proved
useless for defence, and carrjing off vast spoil from
the industrious Chinese. The}- were driven from
the soil scores of times, only to return as virulentl}-
as before. Their warlike energy so far surpassed
that of their victims that one emperor did not hesi-
tate to admit that three Tartars were the equal of
five Chinese. They were bought off at times with
tribute of rich goods and beautiful maidens, and
their chief was even given the sister of an emperor
for wife. And still they came, again and again,
swarms of fierce wasps which stung the country
more deeply with each return.
186
THE INVASION OP THE TARTAR STEPPES. 187
This in time became intolerable, and a new policy
was adopted, that of turning the tables on the Tar-
tars and invading their country in turn. In the
reign of Vouti, an emperor of the Han dynasty (135
B.C.), the Tartar king sent to demand the hand of a
Chinese princess in marriage, offering to continue the
existing truce. Bitter experience had taught the Chi-
nese how little such an otfer was to be trusted. WangKuc, an able general, suggested the policy '' of destroy-
ing ihem rather than to remain constantly exposed
to their insults," and in the end war was declai'cd.
The hesitation of the emperor had not been with-
out abundant reason. To carry their arms into the
wilds of Central Asia seemed a desperate enterprise
t(; the peaceful Chinese, and their first effort in this
direction proved a serious failure. Wang Kue, at
the head of an army of three hundred thousand
men, marched into the desert, adopting a stratagem
to bring the Tartars within his reach. His plan
failed, the Tartars avoided an attack, and Wang Kueclosed the campaign without a shred of the glory
he had promised to gain. The emperor ordered his
arrest, which he escaped in the effective Eastern fiish
ion of himself putting an end to his life.
But, though the general was dead, his policy sur-
vived, his idea of aggression taking deep root in the
Chinese official mind. Many centuries were to elapse,
however, before it bore fruit in liie final subjection
of the desert tribes, and China was to become their
prey as a whole before they became the subjects of
its throne.
The failure of Wanir Kue irave boldness to the
188 HISTORICAL TALES.
Tartars, who carried on in their old way the war the
Chinese had begun, making such bold and destructive
raids that the emperor sent out a general with orders
to fight the enemy wherever he could find them.
This warrior, Wei Tsing by name, succeeded in
catching the raiders in a trap. The Tartar chief,
armed with the courage of despair, finally cut his
way through the circle of his foes and brought off
the most of his men, but his camp, baggage, wives,
children, and more than fifteen thousand soldiers were
left behind, and the victorious general became the
hero of his age, the emperor travelling a day's jour-
ne}" from the capital to welcome him on his return.
This, and a later success b^' the same general,
gave the Chinese the courage ihey so sadly needed,
teaching them that the Tartars were not quite be-
yond the power of the sword. A council was called,
a proposal to carry tlie war into the enemy's country
approved, and an army, composed mostly of cavahy,
sent out under an experienced officer named Ilokiu-
ping. The ill fortune of the former invasion was
now replaced by good. The Tartars, completely
taken by surprise, were everywhere driven back, and
Hokiuping returned to China rich in booty, amongit the golden images used as religious emblems by
one of the Tartar princes. Returning with a larger
force, he swept far through their country, boasting
on his return that he had put thirty thousand Tar-
tars to the sword. As a result, two of the princes
and a large number of their followers surrendered
to Vouti, and were disarmed and dispersed through
the frontier settlements of the realm.
THE INVASION OF THE TARTAR STEPPES. 189
These expeditions were followed by an invasion
of the Heung-nou country by a large army, com-
manded by the two successful generals Wei Tsing
and Hokiuping. This movement was attended with
signal success, and the Tartars for the time were
thoroughly cowed, while the Chinese lost much of
their old dread of their desert foe. Years afterwards
(110 B.C.) a new Tartar war began, Vouti himself
taking command of an army of two hundred thou-
sand men, and sending an envoy to the Tartar king,
commanding him to surrender all prisoners and
plunder and to acknowledge China as sovereign lord
of himself and his people. All that the proud chief
surrendered was the head of the ambassador, which
he sent back with a bold defiance.
For some reason, which history does not give,
Vouti failed to lead his all-conquering army against
the desert fue, and when, in a later year, the steppes
were invaded, the imperial army found the warlike
tribes ready for the onset. The war continued for
twenty years more, with varied fortune, and when,
after fifty years of almost incessant warfare with
the nomad warriors, Vouti laid down his sword with
his life, the Tartars were still free and defiant. Yet
China had learned a new way of dealing with the
warlike tribes, and won a wide reputation in Asia,
while her frontiers were much more firmly held.
The long reign of the great emperor had not been
confined to wars with the Tartars. In his hands the
empire of China was greatly widened by extensions in
the west. The largo provinces of Yunnan, Szchuon,
and Fuhkien were conquered and added to the
190 HISTORICAL TALES.
Chinese state, while other independent kingdoms
were made vassal states. And " thereby hangs a
tale" which wo have next to tell.
Far west in Northern China dwelt a barbarian
people named the Yuchi, numerous and prosperous,
yet no match in war for their persistent enemies the
Tartars of the steppes. In the year 165 B.C. the}''
were so utterly beaten in an invasion of the Heung-
nou that they were forced to quit their homes and
seek safety and freedom at a distance. Far to the
west they went, where they coalesced with those
warlike tribes of Central Asia who afterwards be-
came the bane of the empire of Rome.
The fate of this people seemed a bitter one to
Youti, when it was told to his sympathetic ear, and,
in the spirit in which King Ai'thur sent out his
Round Table Knights on romantie quests, he turned
to his council and asked if any among them wasdaring enough to follow the track of these wan-
derers and bring them back to the land they had
lost. One of them, Chang Keen, volunteered to
take up the difficult quest and to traverse Asia
from end to end in search of the fugitive tribes.
This knight of romance was to experience manyadventures before he should return to his native land.
Attended by a hundred devoted companions, he set
out, but in endeavoring to cross the country of the
Heung-nou the whole party were made prisoners and
held in captivity for ten long years. Finally, after a
bitter experience of desert life, the survivors madetheir escape, and, with a courage that had outlived
their years of thraldom, resumed their search for
THE INVASION OF THE TARTAR STEPPES. 191
tlic vanished tribes. Many western countries were
visited in the search, and much strange knowledge
was gained. In the end the Yuchi were found in
their new home. With them Chang Keen dwelt for
a year, but all his efforts to induce them to return
were in vain. They were safe in their new land,
and did not care to risk encounter with their old foes,
even with the Emperor of China for their friend.
Finally the adventurous envoy returned to China
with two of his companions, the only survivors of
the hundred with whom he had set out years before,
lie had an interesting story to tell of lands and
peoples unknown to the Chinese, and wrote an ac-
count of his travels and of the geography of the
countries he had seen. Chang Keen was subse-
quently sent on a mission to the western kingdom
of Ousun, where he was received with much honor,
though the king declined to acknowledge himself a
vassal of the ruler of China. From hero he sent
explorers far to the south and north, bringing back
with him fresh information concerning the Asiatic
nations.
Of the Yuchi later stories are told. They arc said
to have come into collision with the Parthians, whomthey vanquished after a long-continued struggle.
Tho}^ are also credited with having dostro3-i'd the
kingdom of Bactria, a far-eastern relic of the empii-o
of Alexander the Great. Several centuries later
they may have combined with their old foes to form
the Iluns, who flung themselves in a devastating
torrent upon Europe, and eventually became the
founders of the modern kingdom of Hungary.
THE ''CRIMSON EYEBROWSr
With the opening of the Christian era a usurper
came to the Chinese throne. In the year 1 B.C. the
emperor Gaiti died, and Wang Mang, a powerful
official, joined with the mother of the dead emperor
to seize the power of the state. The friends and
officials of Gaiti were ruined and disgraced, and in
the year 1 a.d. a boy of nine years was raised to the
throne as nominal emperor, under whose shadow
Wang Mang ruled supreme. Money was needed for
the ambitious upstart, and he obtained it by robbing
the graves of former monarchs of the jewels and
other valuables buried with them. This, from the
Chinese point of view, was a frightful sacrilege, yet
the people seem to have quietly submitted to the vio-
lation of the imperial tombs.
Five years passed away, and the emperor reached
the age of sixteen. He might grow troublesome in
a year or two more. Wang Mang decided that he
had lived long enough. The poisoned cup, which
seems to have been always ready in the Chinese
palace, was handed to the boy by the usurper him-
self Drinking it unsuspiciously, the unfortunate
youth was soon lying on the floor in the agonies of
death, while the murderer woke the palace halls with
his cries of counterfeit grief, loudly bewailing the
young emperor's sad fate, and denouncing heaven
192
THE "CRIMSON EYEBROWS." 193
for having sent this sudden and fatal illness upon
the royal youth.
To keep up appearances, another child was placed
upon the throne. A conspiracy against the usurper
was now formed by the great men of the state, but
Wang Mang speedily crushed plot and plotters, rid
himself of the new boy emperor in the same arbi-
trary fashion as before, and, throwing off the maskhe iiad thus far worn, had himself proclaimed em-
peror of the realm. It was the Han dynasty he had
in this arbitrary fashion brought to an end. Hecalled his dynasty by the name of Sin.
But the usurper soon learned the truth of the
saying, " uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
The Tartars of the desert defied his authority, broke
their long truce, and raided the rich provinces of
the north, which had enjoyed thirty years of peace
and prosperity. In this juncture Wang Mangshowed that he was better fitted to give poison to
boys than to meet his foes in the field. The Tartars
committed their ravages with impunity, and other
enemies were quickly in arms. Eebeliions broke out
in the east and the south, and soon, wherever the
usurper turned, he saw foes in the field or lukewarmfriends at home.
The war that followed continued for twelve years,
the armies of rebellion, led by princes of the Hanline of emperors, drawing their net closer and closer
around him, until at length ho was shut up within
his capital city, with an army of foes around its
walls. The defence was weak, and the victors soon
made their way through the gates, appearing quickly
13
194 HISTORICAL TALES.
at the palace doors. The usurper had reached the
end of his troubled reign, but at this fatal juncture
had not the courage to take his own life. The vic-
torious soldiers rushed in while he was hesitating in
mortal fear, and with a stroke put an end to his
reign and his existence. His body was hacked into
bleeding fragments, which were cast about the streets
of the city, to be trampled underfoot by the rejoicing
throng.
It is not, however, the story of Wang Mang's
career that we have set out to tell, but that of one of
his foes, the leader of a band of rebels, Fanchong by
name. This partisan leader had shown himself a
man of striking military ability, bringing his troops
under strict discipline, and defeating all his foes.
Soldiers flocked to his ranks, his band became an
army, and in the crisis of the struggle he took a step
that made him famous in Chinese history. He or-
dered his soldiers to paint their ej'ebrows red, as a
sign that they were read}' to fight to the last drop
of their blood. Then he issued the following procla-
mation to the people :" If you meet the ' Crimson
Eyebrows,' join yourselves to them ; it is the sure
road to safety. You can fight the usurper's troops
without danger ; but if you wish for death you mayjoin Wang Mang's army."
The end of the war was not the end of the " Crim-
son Eyebrows." Fanchong was ambitious, and a
large number of his followers continued under his flag.
They had aided greatly in putting a Han emperor
on the throne, but the}' now became his most for-
midable foes, changing from patriots into brigands,
THE "CRIMSON EYEBROWS." 195
and keeping that part of the empire which they
haunted in a state of the liveliest alarm.
Against this thorn in the side of the realm the
new emperor sent his ablest commander, and a fierce
campaign ensued, in which the brigantl band stub-
borrdy fought for life and license. In the end they
suffered a crushing defeat, and for the time sank out
of sight, but only to rise again at a later date.
The general who had defeated them, au able prince
of the Han family, followed up his victory by seizing
the throne itself and deposing the weak emperor.
The latter fled to the retreat of the remnant of the
brigand band, and begged their aid to restore hini
to the throne, but Fanchong, who had no idea of
placing a greater than himself at the head of his
band, escaped from the awkward position by put-
ting his guest to death.
Soon after the -'Crimson Eyebrows" were in the
field again, not as supporters of an imperial refugee,
but as open enemies of the public peace, each manfighting for his own hand. While the new ruk-r
was making himself strong at Loyang, the new capi-
tal, Fanchong and his brigands seized Changnan,
Wang Mang's old capital, and pillaged it mercilessl}'.
flaking it their head-quarters, they lived on the in-
habitants of the city and the surrounding district,
holding on until the rapid approach of the army of
the emperor admonished them that it was lime to
seek a safer place of retreat.
The army of the brigand chief grew until it was
believed to exceed two hundred thousand men, while
their excesses were so great that they were every-
196 HISTORICAL TALES.
where regarded as public enemies, hated and exe-
crated by the people at large. But the career of
the " Crimson Eyebrows" was near its end. The em-
peror sent against them an army smaller than their
own, but under the command of Fongy, one of the
most skilful generals of the age. His lack of num-
bers was atoned for by skill in manoeuvres, the brig-
ands were beaten in numerous skirmishes, and at
length Fongy risked a general engagement, Avhich
ended in a brilliant victory. During the crisis of
the battle he brought up a reserve of prisoners whomhe had captured in the previous battles and had wonover to himself. These, wearing still the crimson
sign of the brigands, mingled unobserved amongtheir former comrades, and at a given signal sud-
denly made a fierce attack upon them. This treach-
erous assault produced a panic, and Fanchong's armywas soon flying in disorder and dismay.
Terms were now offered to the brigand chief, which
he accepted, and his army disbanded, with the ex-
ception of some fragments, which soon gathered
again into a powerful force. This Fongy attacked
and completely dispersed, and the long and striking
career of the " Crimson Eyebrows" came to an end.
A CHINESE PAGODA.
THE CONQUEST OF CENTRALASIA.
The Chinese are the most practical and the least
imaginative of the peoples of the earth. During their
whole four thousand years and more of historical
existence the idea of militar}' gloiy seems never to
have dawned upon their souls. They have had
wars, abundance of them, but these have nearly all
been fought for the purpose of holding on to old
possessions, or of widening the borders of the em-
pire by taking in neighboring lands. No Alexander,
Ca3sar, or Napoleon has ever been born on Chinese
soil ; no army has ever been led abroad in search of
the will-of-the-wisp called glory ; the wild fancy of
becoming lords of the world has always been out of
touch with their practical minds.
If we consider closely the wars of China the
truth of what is here said will appear. The great
bulk of them have been fought within the limits of
the empire, for the purposes of defence against inva-
sion, the suppression of revolt, the overthrow of the
power of feudal lords, or in consequence of the am-
bition of successful generals who coveted the throne.
The wars of external conquest have been singularly
few, consisting pi-iueip:illy in the invasion of the
domain of the Tartars, to which the Chinese were
driven by tho incessant raids of the desert hordes.
197
198 HISTORICAL TALES.
In addition, there have been invasions of Corea and
Indo-China, but merely as passing incidents in the
long era of Chinese history, not as inaugurating a
career of conquest. The great invasion of Japan in
the thirteenth century, the only pure war of con-
quest of China, was made by Kublai Khan, a Tartar
emperor, and largely with Tartar troops. In brief,
the Chinese have shown themselves in disposition
one of the most peaceful of nations, only asking to
be let alone, and are very unlikely to begin the warof conquest which some modern military writers
fear.
Yet there is one instance in Chinese history which
seems to contradict what has here been said, that of
the career of a great conqueror who carried the arms
of China over the whole width of Asia, and whoseemed actuated by that thirst for military glory
"which has inspired most of the great wars of the
world and brought untold misery upon mankind.
This was the great leader Panchow, who lived under
three emperors of the Han dynasty, and whose career
is full of interest and event.
Panchow first appears in the reign of the emperor
Mingti, who came to the throne in 57 a.d. His
victories were won in the west, in the region of
Kokonor, where he brought to an end the invasions
of the Tartar tribes. Under Changti, the succeed-
ing emperor, Panchow continued bis work in the
west, carrying on the war at his own expense, with
an army recruited from pardoned criminals.
Changti died, and Hoti came to the throne, a child
ten years of age. It was under his reign that the
THE CONQUEST OF CENTRAL ASIA. 109
events to be described took place. During the pre-
ceding reigns Panchow had made the power of China
felt in regions far west of that realm, bringing sev-
eral small kingdoms and many tinbes under subjec-
tion, conquering the city of Kasligar, and extending
the western borders of China as far into the interior
of Asia as the great upland region of the Pamir.
The power of his arms had added Eastern Turkes-
tan to the Chinese empire, a region which it con-
tinues to hold to-day.
But these conquests were not enough to satisfy the
ambition of the veteran general. Under the boy
emperor Hoti he was free to carry out his designs on
a much larger scale. With a powerful army he set
out on the only campaign of ambitious warfare in
which China ever indulged. His previous victories
had carried the terror of his name far over the
kingdoms of the west, and he now led his army to
conquest after conquest in the great oases of West-
ern Turkestan, subduing kingdom after kingdom
until no less than fifteen had submitted to the power
of his arms, and his victorious army stood on the
far-distant shores of the Caspian Sea,—the Northern
Sea, as it is named in Chinese annals.
To cross this sea would have brought him into
Europe, which continent had never dreamed of in-
vasion from the mysterious land of Cathay, on the
eastern horizon of the world. Panchow's ambition
was not yet satiated. There came to his mind the
idea of crossing this seeming great barrier to his vic-
torious career. He had, with his army, overcome
innumerable difficulties of waterless deserts, lofty
200 HISTORICAL TALES.
mountain ranges, great rivers, and valiant enemies.
Thus far bis progress had been irresistible, and
should a mere expanse of water jjut an end to his
westward march?
lie was checked by dread of perils in the unknownland beyond. The people on the borders of the
Caspian represented that salt sea as being far more
formidable than it really was. They dilated on its
width, the vast mountains which lay beyond, the
fierce tribes who would render a landing diflScult and
dangerous, and the desert regions beyond the moun-
tains, until Panchow reluctantly gave up his scheme.
He had already been for several years warring with
savage nature and barbarous man, and had extended
the dominions of his emperor much farther than
any Chinese general had ever dreamed of before. It
was time to call a halt, and not expose his valiant
followers to the unknown perils beyond the great
inland sea.
The army remained long encamped on the Cas-
pian, coming into communication through its envoys
"with the Eoman empire, whose eastern borders lay
not far away, and forming relations of commerce
with this rich and powerful realm. This done, Pan-
chow led his ever-victorious warriors back to their
native laud, to tell the story of the marvels they
had seen and the surprising adventures they had en-
countered.
That Panchow was moved by the mere thirst for
military fame may well be doubted in view of what
we know of the character of the Chinese. His pur-
pose was perhaps the more practical one of opening
THE CONQUEST OF CENTRAL ASIA. 201
by force of arms new channels of trade, and over-
coming the obstacles placed by the Parthians and
other nations of Asia in the way of freedom of com-
merce. On his return to China he found himself
the idol of the people, the trusted friend of the em-
peror, and the most revered and powerful subject of
the empire. He died in his eightieth year, enjoying
a fame such as no general of his race had ever before
attained.
THE SIEGE OF SINCHING.
When the great dynasty of the Hans, which had
held supreme rule in China for more than four hun-
dred years, came to an end, it left that country di-
vided up into three independent kingdoms. Theemperors who had once ruled over all China found
themselves now lords of its smallest division, while
the kingdom of Wei included the largest and most
populous districts in the realm. A war for suprem-
acy arose between these three kingdoms, which
ended in the kings of Wei becoming supreme over
the whole empire and establishing a new dynasty,
which they named the dynasty of Tsin. Of this
war we have only one event to relate, an interesting
example of Chinese fortitude and valor.
Shortly after 250 a.d. an army of the Han em-
peror, led by a general named Chukwoko, settled
down to the siege of a small walled town namedSinching, held by three thousand men under the
command of a leader named Changte, whose forti-
tude and energy alone saved this place for the king
of Wei.
For ninety days the siege went on, the catapults
of the besieging force playing incessantly upon the
walls, which, despite the activity of the garrison,
wei-e in time pierced in many places, while several
gaping breaches lay open to the foe. Changte had202
THE SIEGE OP SINCHING. 203
defended the place vigorously, no commander could
have done more, and, as no sign of a relieving force
appeared, he could with all honor have cajjitulated,
thrown open the gates, and marched out with such
dignity as the victorious enemy would permit.
But this was not the view of his duty held by the
valorous soldier. He was one of the kind who die
but do not surrender, and in his extremity had re-
course to the following ruse. He sent word to
Chukwoko that, as the place was clearly untenable,
he was willing to surrender if he were granted ten
days more of grace.
" It is a law among the princes of Wei," he said,
" that the governor of a place which has held out for
a hundred days, and then, seeing no prospect of
relief, sun-enders, shall not be held guilty of dere-
liction of duty."
Chukwoko gladly accepted this offer, being weary
of his long delay before this small post, and quite
willing to save his men from the perils of an assault.
But, to his astonishment, a few days later he sawfresh buhvarlvs rising above those which had been
ruined by his engines, while the breaches were rap-
idly repaired, new gates replaced those that had
been destroyed, and ^inching seemed suddenly to
regain the apjicai'ance it had presented three months
before. Inside the walls a new spirit prevailed, the
courage of the bold commander reanimating his
troops, while the sentinels on the ramjiarts shouted
messages of disdain to the besieging force.
Indignant at this violation of the terms of the
agreement, Chukwoko sent a flag of truce to the
204 HISTORICAL TALES.
gate, demanding angrily what these proceedings
meant, and if this was Changte's way of keeping
his word.
" I am preparing my tomb," replied the bold com-
mander. " I propose to bury myself under the ruins
of Sinching."
The tomb remained untenanted by the daring
commandant. The long-delayed relief appeared,
and Chukwoko was obliged to make a hasty retreat,
with the loss of half his army. It is safe to say
that in the pursuit Changte and his faithful three
thousand played a leading part.
FROM THE SHOEMAKERSBENCH TO THE THRONE.
At the begioning of the fifth centuiy of the
Cliristian era China had fallen into a state of de-
crepitude. The second dynasty of the Tsins wasnear its end. For a century and a half it had held
the imperial power, but now it had fallen a prey to
luxury, one of its latest emperors dying from pro-
longed drunkenness, another being smothered in bed
by his wife, whom he had insulted while intoxicated.
The empire which the founder of the dynasty had
built up showed signs of falling to pieces. In the
south the daring pirate Sunghcn was making the
great rivers the scenes of his merciless activity,
spreading terror along their banks, and extending
his desolating raids far over the surrounding prov-
inces. In the north had arisen a new enemy, the
Geougen Tartars, whose career had begun in the
outbreak of a hundred rebels, but who had now be-
come 80 powerful that their chief assunie<l in the
year 402 the ]>roud title of Kagan, or Great Lord.
Falling upon the northern boundaries of the empire,
these dangerous foes made daring inroads into the
realm. As for the provinces of the em})ire, manyof them were in a rebellious mood.
At this critical period in Chinese history a child of
the people came forward as the savior of his country.
206
20G HISTORICAL TALES.
This was a poor boy for whom his parents had done
little more than give him his name of Lieoiiyu,
having been forced by poverty to desert him to
the cold comfort of charity. He was cared for by a
kind woman, as poor as they, and as he grew older
learned the humble trade of shoemaking, which he
followed for some time as an occupation, though he
chafed in spirit at its wearisome monotony. The
boy had in him the seeds of better things, showing
in his early years a remarkable quickness in learn-
ing, and an energy that was not likely to remain
content with a humble position.
Seeing that his only chance of advancement lay
in the military career, and burning with spirit and
courage, the ambitious boy soon deserted the shoe-
maker's bench for the army's ranks. Here he showed
such valor and ability that he rapidly rose to the
command of a company, and was in time intrusted
WMth a small independent body of troops. It was
against the pirate Sunghen that the young soldier
was pitted, and during three years he vigorously' op-
posed that leader in his devastating raids. In this
field of duty he was repeatedly victorious, breaking
the reputation of the corsair, and so weakening him
that his overthrow became easy. This was per-
formed by another leader, the defeat of Sunghen
being so signal that, despairing of escape, he leaped
overboard and was drowned.
Lieouyu, having abundantly proved his ability,
was now rapidly promoted, rising in rank until he
found himself in command of an arni}', which he
handled with the greatest skill and success. His
FROM THE shoemaker's BENCH TO THE THRONE. 207
final victory in this position was against a formidable
rebel, whom he fought both on land and on water
with a much smaller force, completely defeating
him. The emperor showed his sense of gratitude
for this valuable service by raising the shoemaker's
boy to the rank of commander-in-chief of all the
armies of the empire.
In this exalted position Lieouyu disp]a\-ed the
same energy and ability that he had shown in hum-
bler commands. Marching from province to prov-
ince and from victory to victory, he put down the
rebels whom the weakness of the government had
permitted to rise on every side. He had not only
rebellious bands, but disloyal princes of the empire,
to contend with. In one of his marches it was
necessary to cross the great province of Wei, north
of the Hoang-ho, a movement to ^vhich Topa, prince
of the province, refused permission. Lieouyu, in-
dignant at this disloyalty, forced the passage of the
stream, routed the army of the prince, and pursued
his march without further 0])po.sition, sending one
of his generals, named Wangchinon, against the city
of Changnan,the capital of the prince of Chin, whohad hoisted the flag of rebellion against the emperor.
Lieouyu had chosen his substitute well. Conve}--
ing his army by water as far as possible, Wang-chinon, on leaving his ships, ordered them to be cast
adrift. To the soldiers he made the following Na-
poleonic oration :
" We have neither supplies nor provisions, and the
swift waters of the Wciho bear from us the ships in
which we came. Soldiers of the empire, only two
208 HISTORICAL TALES.
things lie before us. Let us beat the enemy, and wewill regain a hundredfold all we have lost, besides
covering ourselves with glory. If the enemy beat
us, there is no escape ; death will be the lot of us all.
To conquer or to die,—that is our destiny. You have
heard;prepare to march against the enemy."
With so resolute a commander victory was almost
assured. Changnan, vigoroush' assailed, quickly sur-
rendered, and the captive prince of Chin was exe-
cuted as a rebel taken in arms. Lieouyu, who had
been winning victories elsewhere, now arrived, hav-
ing marched in all haste to the aid of his valorous'
lieutenant. Praising Wangchinon for the brilliancy
of his achievement, the commander was about put-
ting his forces on the march for new victorious
deeds, when peremptory orders recalled him to the
capital, and his career of conquest was for the
time checked. The absence of the strong hand was
quickly felt. The rebels rose again in force, Chang-
nan was lost and with it all the conquests Lieouyu
had made, and the forces of the empire were every-
where driven back in defeat.
Meanwhile Lieouyu, at the capital, found himself
in the midst of political complications that called for
decisive measures. The weakness of the emperor
troubled him, while he felt a deep resentment at what
he considered ill treatment on the part of the throne.
He had, as Prince of Song, been raised to the third
rank among the princes of the realm, but he thought
his deeds entitled him to rank among the first; while
the success of the rebels in the absence of his master
hand redoubled his reputation among the people.
FROM THE shoemaker's BENCH TO THE THRONE. 209
Gaiiti, the emperor, was destined to experience the
dangerous consequences of raising a subject to such a
height and yet leaving him below the rank to which
he aspired. Lieouyu, now all-powerful in military
circles, and virtually master of the realm, caused the
emjDcror to be strangled, and named his brother
Kongti as successor to the throne. But the ambi-
tion of the shoemaker's boy had not reached its
summit. This was but a provisional step, and the
throne itself lay before him as an alluring prize.
Having skilfully laid his plans, Lieouyu, at the end
of two years, gave the weak Kongti to understand
that his reign was at an end, and that he must step
down from the throne which a stronger than he
proposed to ascend.
Kongti made no resistance to this arbitrary de-
mand. He knew that resistance would be useless,
and resigned his imperial dignity in favor of the
peasant who by his sword had carved his way to the
throne. The ceremony was an interesting one. Abroad scaffold was erected in a field adjoining the
capital, and on it was placed a gorgeouslj- deco-
rated imperial throne, which Kongti occupied, while
Lieouyu, attired in royal garb, stood below. In the
presence of the assembled thousands of Kienkang,
the capital, Kongti descended from the seat which he
had so feebly filled, while his strong successor seated
himself on the throne amid the plaudits of the ap-
proving multitude. In the presence of the great
officials of the realm Kongti paid homage to Lieouj^u,
thus completing a ceremony which was without
parallel in the history of the Chinese empire. With14
210 HISTORICAL TALES.
this act the dynasty of the Tsins came to an end,
and was replaced by that of the Songs, of which
Lieouyu was the first and worthiest representative.
Of the ceremony of investiture the principal
feature was the assumption of the imperial cap or
crown, which has long been the chief mark of roy-
alty worn by the Chinese emperor. This is a cap of
peculiar shape, round in front and straight behind,
and ornamented with one hundred and forty-four
precious stones. From it hang twelve pendants con-
sisting of strings of pearls, of which four are so ar-
ranged as to hang over the emperor s eyes. This is
done, it is said, in order that the emperor may not
see the accused who are brought before him for
trial.
It was in the year 420 a.d. that Lieouyu ascended
the throne, assuming with the imperial dignity the
name of a former emperor of renown, Kaotsou, and
naming his dynasty the Song, from his princely
title.
As for the deposed emperor, the new monarch
had no thought of leaving any such dangerous ele-
ment in his path, and Kongti was called upon "to
drink the waters of eternal life," the Chinese eu-
phuism for swallowing poison. Kongti, a devoted
Buddhist, declined the fatal draught, on the ground
that self-murder was in opposition to his religious
sentiments. This is the only instance in Chinese
history in which a deposed ruler refused to accept
the inevitable fate of the unfortunate. To quaff the
poisoned cup is the time-honored way of getting rid
of an inconvenient ex-monarch. This refusal of the
FROM THE shoemaker's BENCH TO THE THRONE. 211
deposed emperor led to sterner measures, and ho was
murdered by the guard which had been placed over
him in his palace.
Lieouyu was not destined long to occupy the
throne which he had thus secured. He was already
growing old, and a short reign of three years ended
his career. As a monarch and a man alike he dis-
played sterling and admirable qualities. His cour-
age on the field of battle, his frugality and earnest
devotion to duty in every position which he reached,
Avon him the widest commendation, while he was
still more esteemed by his subjects for his kindness
and devotion to the foster-mother who had nourished
him when deserted by his own parents, and who had
the remarkable fortune of seeing the poor child whohad been abandoned to her charitable care seated on
the imperial throne of the realm.
THREE NOTABLE WOMEN.
In the year 503 began a long war between the
princes of Wei and the emperors of China, which
continued for nearly half a century. Of this pro-
tracted contest we have only three incidents to re-
late, in which, within a few j'ears, three heroines
rose to prominence and in various ways showed an
ability surpassing that of the men of their age. It
is the story of these three women that we propose
to tell.
Chanyang, a stronghold of Wei, had been placed
in charge of Ginching, one of the ablest soldiers of
that kingdom. But the exigencies of the war obliged
that officer to make an excursion beyond its walls,
taking with him the main body of the garrison, and
leaving the place very weakly defended. Taking
advantage of this opportunity, one of the Chinese
generals marched quickly upon the weakened strong-
hold, surrounded it with a lai'ge army, and made so
rapid and vigorous an assault that all the outer de-
fences fell into his hands without a blow in their
defence.
At this perilous juncture, when the place wasalmost in the hands of its foes, and the depressed
garrison was ready to yield, Mongchi, the wife of
the absent commander, appeared upon the ramparts,
called upon their defenders to make a bold and reso-
212
THREE NOTABLE WOMEN. 213
lute resistance to the enemy, and by her courage
and animation put new spirit into the troops. In-
spired by her^ they bravely resisted the further ad-
vance of the assailants and held the walls, which,
but for the valor of the heroine, must inevitably
have been lost.
Having thus checked the first onslaught of the
enemy, Mongchi went vigorously to work. The in-
habitants of the place were armed and sent to rein-
force the garrison, the defences of the gate were
strengthened, and by promises of reward as well as
by her presence and inspiriting appeals the brave
woman stirred up the defenders to such vigorous re-
sistance that the imperial forces were on every side
repelled, and in the end were forced to abandon the
prize which they had deemed safely their own. Not
till after Chanyang was saved did Ginching return
from an impoi-tant victorj' he had won in the field,
to learn that his brave wife had gained as signal a
success in his absence.
The second woman whom we shall name was
Houchi, wife of the king of Wei, whose husband
came to the throne in 515, but became a mere tool
in the hands of his able and ambitious wife. Afier
a short period Houchi was so bold as to force her
husband to vacate the throne, naming her infant son
as king in his place, but exercising all the power of
the realm herself. She went so far as to declare war
against the empire, though the contest that followed
was marked by continual disaster to her troops, ex-
cept in one notable instance.
As in the case above cited, so in this war a strong-
214 HISTORICAL TALES.
hold was successfully held by a woman. This place
was Tsetong, whose commandant was absent, leaving
the command to his wife Lieouchi, a woman of the
highest courage and readiness in an emergency.
As before, the imperial troops took advantage of
the occasion, and quickly invested the town, while
Lieouchi, with a valor worthy of a soldier's wife,
made rapid prejoarations for defending it to the last
extremity.
Her decisive resolution was shown in an instance
that must have redoubled the courage of her men.
Discovering, after the siege had gone on for several
days, that one of the oflScers of her small force was
playing the traitor by corresponding with the enemy,
she called a general council of the oflScers, with the
ostensible purpose of deliberating on the manage-
ment of the defence. The traitor attended the
council, not dreaming that his proposed treason was
suspected. He was thunderstruck when Lieouchi
vehemently accused him before his fellow-oflScers of
the crime, showing such knowledge of his purpose
that he was forced to admit the justice of the charge.
The energetic woman wasted no time in this critical
state of affairs, but, drawing her sword, severed the
head of the traitor from his body with one vigorous
blow. This act put an end to all thoughts of treason
in the garrison of Tsetong.
The courage of Lieouchi was not greater than her
judgment and decision in an emergency. There was
but a single well to supply the garrison with water,
and this the enemj' succeeded in cutting off. Theready wit of the woman overcame this serious loss.
THREE NOTABLE WOMEN. 215
It was the riiiiiy season, and she succeeded in col-
lecting a considerable supply of rain-water in vases,
while linen and the clothes of the soldiers were also
utilized as water-catching devices. In the end the
imperial forces, batfled in their every eifort by this
heroic woman, abandoned the siege in disgust.
As for Ilouchi, the ruler of Wei, her ability was
of a different kind, yet in her ambitious designs she
disj)layed unusual powers. Deposed and imprisoned
on account of the failure of the war, she soon ovei'-
threw her enemies and rose to the head of affairs
again, and for sevei-al j-eai's continued to wage war
with the emperor. But the war went against her,
and trouble arose within her kingdom. Here and
there were movements of rebellion, and the generals
of the realm were at daggers' points to supplant one
unotiier.
Amid these distractions the queen balanced her-
self with marked skill, playing off one enemyagainst another, but her position daily grew more
insecure. Her power was brought to an end by her
final act, which was to depose her son and place her-
self in sole control of the realm. Erchu Jong, a
general of ability and decision, now rose in revolt,
marched on the capital, made Houchi his prisoner,
and in the same moment ended her reign and her
life by drowning her in the waters of the Hoang-ho.
Then, gathering two thousand of the notables of the
city, her aids and supporters, on a plain outside the
walls, he ordered his cavalry to kill them all. Other
steps of the same stern character were taken by
this fierce soldier, whose power grew so great as to
210 HISTORICAL TALES.
excite official dread. A general sent against him by
Vouti, the emperor, who boasted of having gained
forty-seven victories, was completely defeated, and
all the results of his campaign were lost. Erchu
Jong now formed the design of reuniting the empire
and driving Youti from the throne, but his enemies
brought this ambitious scheme to an end. Invited
to the palace on some pretence, he was cut down in
the audience-hall, the Prince of Wei, whom he had
placed on the throne, giving his consent to this act
of treacher}'. Thus was the death of Houchi quickly
avenged.
THE REIGN OF TAITSONG THEGREAT.
The history of China differs remai"kably from
that of Japan in one particular. In the hitter a
single dynasty of emperors has, from the beginning,
held the throne. In the former there have been
numerous d^^nasties, most of them brief, some long
extended. In Japan the emperors lived in retire-
ment, and it was the dynasties of shoguns or gen-
erals that suffered change. In China the emperors
kept at the head of affairs, and were exposed to all
the perils due to error or weakness in the ruler and
ambition in powerful subjects.
The fall of the great dynasty of the Hans left
the way clear for several brief dynasties, of whose
emperors Yangti, the last, was a man of great public
spirit and magnificent ideas. His public spirit was
expressed in a series of great canals, which extended
throughout the empire, their total length being, it
is said, more than sixteen hundred leagues. Several
of these great works still remain. Ilis magnificence
of idea was shown in the grand adornments of Lo-
yang, his capital, where two million of men were
emploj'ed upon his ])alace and the public buiklings.
Yangti's son was deposed by Liyuen. Prince of
Tang, and a new dynasty, that of the Tang em-
perors, was formed, which continued for several cen-
217
218 HISTORICAL TALES.
turies at the head of affairs. The new emperor
assumed the name of Kaotsou, made famous by the
first emperor of the Hans. But the glory of his
rei^i^n belongs to his son, not to himself, and it is
with this son, Lichimin by name, that we have now
to do.
It bad been the custom of the founders of dynas-
ties to begin their reign b}- the destruction of the
families of their deposed rivals. The new emj)eror
showed himself more merciful, by pensioning instead
of destroying his unfortunate foes. His only ven-
geance was upon inanimate objects. Lichimin, on
capturing Loyang, ordered the great palace of
Yangti, the most magnificent building in the em-
pire, to be set on fire and destroyed. " So muchpomp and pride," he said, " could not be sustained,
and ought to lead to the ruin of those who consid-
ered their own love of luxury rather than the needs
of the people."
"While his father occupied the throne the valiant
Lichimin went forth "conquering and to conquer."
Wherever he went victory' went with him. The foes
of the Tangs were put down in quick succession. Agreat Tartar confederacy was overthrown by the
vigorous young general. Four 3'ears sufficed for the
work. At the end of that time Lichimin was able
to announce that he had vanquished all the enemies
of the empire, both at home and abroad.
His victories were followed by a triumph which
resembled those given to the great generals of
ancient Rome. The city of Singan was the capital
of the new dynasty, and into it Lichimin rode at
THE REIGN OF TAITSONQ THE GREAT. 219
the head of his victorious legions, dressed in cosily
armor and wearing a breastplate of gold. His per-
sonal escort consisted of ten thousand picked horse-
men, among them a regiment of cuirassiers dressed
in black tiger-skins, who were particularly attached
to his person and the most distinguished for valor of
all his troops. Thirty thousand cuirassiers followed,
wiih a captive king of the Tartars in their midst.
Other captives testified to the glory of the con-
queror, being the vanquished defenders of conquered
cities, whose abundant spoils were displayed in the
train.
Into the city wound the long array, through mul-
titudes of applauding spectators, Lichimin proceed-
ing in state to the Hall of his Ancestors, where he
paid obeisance to the shades of his progenitors and
detailed to them the story of his victorious career.
Unlike the more cruel Romans, who massacred the
captives they had shown in their triumphs, Lichimin
pardoned his. The principal officers of the armywere richl}' rewarded, and the affair ended in a great
banquet, at which the emperor gave his valiant son
tiie highest praise for his services to the country.
The rejoicings ended in a proclamation of general
amnesty and a reduction of the taxes, .so that all
might benefit by the imperial triumph.
Yet there was poison in the victor's cup of joy.
His brothers envied him. intrigued against him, and
succeeded in instilling such doubts in the emperor's
mind that Lichimin fell into disgrace and was
strongly tempted to leave the court. The intrigues,
which had first dealt with his good name, were next
220 HISTORICAL TALES.
directed against his life, a plot to murder him being
devised. Fortunately it was discovered in time, and
the death they had planned for their brother fell
upon themselves, leaving him the emperor's unques-
tioned heir. The same year (626 a.d.) the emperor
retired to private life and raised his great son to the
throne.
Lichimin, as emperor, assumed the name of Tai-
tsong, a title which he made so famous that he fully
earned the designation of Taitsong the Great. Theempire was surrounded with enemies, the nomads
of the north, extending from Corea to Kokonor,
and the warlike people of the south, from Thibet to
Tonquin. During the remainder of his life he wasengaged in incessant conflict with these stinging
wasps, whose onslaughts left him no peace.
Scarcely was he settled on the throne when the
Tartar invasions began. Their raids were repelled,
but they instigated Taitsong to an important measure.
It had always been evident that the Chinese troops,
hitherto little more than a raw militia, were unable
to cope with the sons of the desert, and the shrewd
emperor set himself to organize an army that should
be a match in discipline and eff'ectiveness for any
of its foes. The new ami}' embraced three ranks,
each corps of the superior rank consisting of twelve
hundred, and those of the others respectivelj' of one
thousand and eight hundred men. The total force
thus organized approached nine hundred thousand
men, of whom a large portion were used for frontier
duty. These troops were careful!}' trained in the
use of the bow and the pike, Taitsong himself in-
THE RKIGN OF TAITSONG THE GREAT. 221
specting a portion of them daily. This innovation
roused bitter opposition from the literati, whose
books told them that former emperors did not en-
gage in such work. But Taitsong, on the theory
that in time of peace we should prepare fur war,
went on with his reforms regardless of their cited
precedents.
Taitsong's now army was soon put to the proof.
The Tartars were in arms again, a powerful confed-
eracy had been formed, and China was in danger.
Marching into the desert with his disciplined forces,
he soon had his enemies in flight, forced several of
the leading khans to submit, and spread the dread
of his arms widely among the tribes. To his title
of Emperor of China ho now added that of Khan of
the Tartars, and claimed as subjects all the nomadsof the desert.
The next great war was with Thibet, whoso tribes
had become subdued under one chief, called the San-
pou, or " brave lord." This potentate, who deemedhimself the peer of his powerful neighbor, demandeda Chinese princess in marriage, and when this favor
was refused he invaded a province of the empire.
Taitsong at once put his army in motion, defeated
the forces of Thibet, and made the .Sanpou acknow-ledge himself a vassal of China and pay a fine of
five thousand ounces of gold. Then the princess he
had sought to win b}' force was granted to him as a
favor. The Sanpou gave up his barbarian wa^'s,
adopted Chinese customs, and built a walled city for
his princess wife.
The next act of the great emjDeror was to bring
222 HISTORICAL TALES.
Eastern Turkestan, conquered by Panchow more
than five centuries before, under Chinese rule. This
country had admitted the supremacy of the emperor,
but not until now did it become part of the empire,
which it has since remained.
The last warlike act of Taitsong's life was the
invasion of Corea. Here be won various great
battles, but was at length baffled in the siege of a
Corean town, and lost all he had gained, the gallant
commandant of the town wishing the ti'oops "apleasant journey" as they began their retreat.
Taitsong did not confine himself to deeds of war.
Under the advice of his wife Changsungchi, a womanas great in her way as he was in his, and celebrated
for her domestic virtues, talent, and good sense, he
founded the Imperial Library and the great Col-
lege, decreased the taxes, and regulated the finances
of the realm. The death of this good woman was to
him a severe blow, and he ordered that she should
receive the funeral honors due to an emperor.
His last days were spent in drawing up for the
instruction of his son a great work on the art of
government, known as the Golden Mirror. He died
in 649 A.D., having proved himself one of the ablest
monarchs, alike in war and in peace, that ever sat
on the Chinese throne.
A FEMALE RICHELIEU.
Five years after the death of the great Taitsong,
his son Kaotsong, Emperor of China, fell in love
with a woman, a fact in no sense new in the annals
of mankind, but one wliich Avas in this case des-
tined to exert a striking influence on the history of
an empire. This woman was the princess Wou, a
3'outhful widow of the late emperor, and now an in-
mate of a Buddhist convent. So strong was the
passion of the young ruler for the princess that he
set aside the opposition of his ministers, divorced
Jiis lawful empress, and, in the year 655, made his
new love his consort on the throne.
It was a momentous act. So great was the as-
cendency of the woman over her lover that from
the start he became a mere tool in her hands and
ruled the empire in accordance with her views. Herfirst act was one that showed her merciless strength
of purpose. Fearing that the warm love of Kao-
tsong might in time grow cold, and that the deposed
empress or some other of the palace women might
return to favor, she determined to sweep these pos-
sible perils from her path. At her command the
unhappy queens were drowned in a vase of wine,
their hands and feet being first cut off.—seemingly
an unnecessary cruelty.
This merciless act of the empress, and her domi-
223
224 HISTORICAL TALES.
nant influence in the government, soon made her
man}' enemies. But they were to find that she was
a dangerous pei'son to plot against. Her son was
prochiimed heir to the throne, and the opposing offi-
cials soon found themselves in prison, where secret
death quickly ended their hostility.
Wou now sought to make herself supreme. At
first assisting the emperor in the labors of govern-
ment, she soon showed a quickness of apprehension,
a ready wit in emergencies, and a tact in dealing
with difficult questions that rendered her aid indis-
pensable. Step by step the emperor yielded his
power to her more skilful hands, until he retained
for himself only the rank while she held all the
authority of the imperial office.
Under her control China retained abroad the
proud position which Taitsong had won. For years
war went on with Coi'ea, who called in the Japanese
to their aid. But the allies were defeated and four
hundred of the war-junks of Japan given to the
flames. The desert nomads remained subdued, and
in Central Asia th'e power of China was firmly
maintained. Now was the era of a mighty commo-tion in Southern Asia and the countries of the Medi-
terranean. Arabia was sending forth its hosts, the
sword and the Koran in hand, to conquer the world
and convert it to the Mohammedan faith. Persia
was in imminent peril, and sent envoys to China
begging for aid. But the shrewd empress had no
thought of involving her dominions in war with
these devastating hordes, and sent Avord that Persia
was too far away for an army to be despatched to
A FEMALE RICHELIEU. 22o
its rescue. Envoys also came from India, but China
kept carefully free from hostilities with the con-
querors of the south.
Kaotsong died in 683, after occupying the throne
for thirty-three years. His death threatened the
position of the empress, the power behind the throne.
But she proved herself fully equal to the occasion,
and made herself more truly the ruler of China than
before. Chongtsong, son of the late emperor, was
proclaimed, but a few days ended his reign. Adecree passed by him in favor of his wife's famil}-
roused Won to action, and she succeeded in deposing
him and banishing him and his family, taking up
again the supreme power of which she had been so
brief a time deprived.
She now carried matters with a high hand. Anominal emperor was chosen, but the rule was hers.
She handled all the public business, disposed of the
oflSces of state, erected temples to her ancestors, wore
the robes which by law could be worn only by an
emperor, and performed the imperial function of
sacrificing to Heaven, the supreme deity of the
Chinese. For once in its history China had an actual
empress, and one of an ability and a power of main-
taining the dignity of the throne which none of its
emperors have surpassed.
Her usurpation brought her a host of enemies.
It set aside all the precedents of the empire, and that
a woman should reign directl}', instead of indirectly,
stirred the spirit of conservatism to its depths.
Wou made no effort to conciliate her foes. She
went so far as to change the name of the dynasty15
226 HISTORICAL TALES.
and to place members of her own family in the great
offices of the realm. Rebellious risings followed
;
plots for her assassination were formed ; but her vig-
ilance was too great, her measures were too prompt,
for treason to succeed. No matter how great the
rank or how eminent the record of a conspirator,
death ended his career as soon as her suspicions were
aroused. The empire was filled with her spies, whobecame so numerous as largely to defeat their pur-
pose, by bringing false accusations befoi-e the throne.
The ready queen settled this difficulty by an edict
threatening with death any one who falsely accused
a citizen of the realm. The improbable story is told
that in a single day a thousand charges were brought
of which eight hundred and fifty proved to be false,
those who brought them being at once sent to the
block. Execution in the streets of Singan, the capi-
tal, was her favorite mode of punishment, and great
nobles and ministers died by the axe before the eyes
of curious multitudes.
A Richelieu in her treatment of her enemies, she
displayed the ability of a Richelieu in her control
of the government. Her rule was a wise one, and
the dignity of the nation never suffered in her hands.
The surrounding peoples showed respect for her
power, and her subjects could not but admit that
they were well and ably ruled. And, that they
might the better understand this, she had books
written and distributed describing her eminent ser-
vices to the state, while the priesthood laid before
the people the storj- of her many virtues. Thus for
more than twenty years after the death of Kaotsong
A FEMALE RICHELIEU. 227
the great empress continued to hold her own in
peace and in war.
In her hiter years wars broke out, which were
handled by her with promptness and success. But
age now weighed upon her. In 704, when she was
more than eighty years old, she became so ill that
for several months she was unable to receive her
ministers. This weakening of the strong hand was
taken advantage of by her enemies. Murdering her
principal relatives, they broke into the palace and
demanded her abdication. Unable to resist, she,
with unabated dignity of mien, handed to them the
imperial seal and the other emblems of power. In
the following year she died. For more than forty
years she bad been the supreme ruler of China, and
held her great office with a strength and dignity
which may well be called superb.
THE TARTARS AND GENGHISKHAN.
In the northern section of the vast Mongolian
plateau, that immense outreach of pastui-e-lands
which forms the great abiding-place of the shepherd
tribes of the earth, there long dwelt a warlike race
which was destined to play an extraordinary part
in the world's history. The original home of this
people, who at an early date had won the significant
name of Mongol, or " the brave," was in the strip of
territory between the Onon and the Kerulon, tribu-
taries of the upper Amur Eiver, the great water ar-
tery of East Siberia. In this retreat, strongly pro-
tected from attack, and with sufficient herbage for
their flocks, the Mongols may have dwelt for ages
unknown to history. "We hear of them first in the
ninth century, when they appeared as a section of
the great horde of the Shiwei, attracting attention
by their great strength and extraordinary courage,
characteristics to which they owed their distinctive
title. For two or three centuries they were amongthe tribes that paid tribute to China, and there wasnothing in their career of special interest. Thenthey suddenly broke into startling prominence, and
sent a wave of terror over the whole civiHzed world.
The history of China is so closely connected with
that of the nomad tribes that one cannot be given
228
THE TARTARS AND QENQUIS KUAN. 229
without the other, and before telling the story of
the Mongols a brief outline of the history of these
tribes is desirable. China is on three sides abun-
dantly defended from invasion, by the ocean on
the east, and by mountains and desert on the south
and west. Its only vulnerable quarter is in the
north, where it joins on to the vast region of the
steppes, a country whose scarcity of rain unfits it
for agriculture, but which has suflScient herbage for
the pasturage of immense herds. Here from time
immemorial has dwelt a race of hardy wanderers,
driving its flocks of sheep, cattle, and horses from
pasture to pasture, and at frequent intervals de-
scending in plundering raids upon the settled peoples
of the south.
China in particular became the prey of these war-
like horsemen. We hear little of them in the early
days, when the Chinese realm was narrow and the
original barbarians possessed most of the land. Wehear much of them in later days, when the empire
had widened and grown rich and prosperous, otter-
ing an alluring prize to the restless and daring in-
habitants of the steppes.
The stories we have ali'eady told have much to say
of the relations of China with the nomads of the
north. Against these foes the Great Wall was built
in vain, and ages of warfare passed before the armies
of China succeeded in subduing and making tribu-
tary the people of the ste])pe8. We first hear of
Tartar raids upon China in the reign of the emperor
Muh Wang, in the tenth century B.C. As time went
on, the tribes combined and fell in steadily greater
230 HISTORICAL TALES.
numbers upon the southern realm. Of these alli-
ances of tribes the first known was named by Chinese
historians the Ileung Nou, or "detestable slaves."
Under its chiefs, called the Tanjous, it became very
formidable, and for a thousand years continued a
thorn in the side of the Chinese empire. %
The Tanjous were dominant in the steppes for
some three hundred years, when the}' were over-
thrown by a revolt of the tribes, and were succeeded
by the Sienpi, who under their chiefs, the Topas, or
" masters of the earth," grew formidable, conquering
the northern provinces of China, which thej' held for
a century and a half Finally a slave of one of the
Topa chiefs, at the head of a hundred outlaws, broke
into revolt, and gathered adherents until the power
of the Sienpi was broken, and a new tribe, the Geou-
gen, became predominant. Its leader, Cehelun by
name, extended his power over a vast territory, as-
suming the title of Kagan, or Khan.
The next revolt took place in the sixth century
A.D., when a tribe of slaves, which worked the iron
forges of the Altai Mountains for the Great Khan,
rebelled and won its freedom. Growing rapidly, it
almost exterminated the Geougen in a great battle,
and became dominant over the clans. Thus first
came into history the great tribe of the Turks, whose
later history was destined to be so momentous. Thedominion of the Khan of the Turks grew so enor-
mously that in time it extended from Central Siberia
on the north to Persia on the south, while he madehis power felt by China on the east and by Eome on
the west. Ambassadors from the Khan reached Con-
THE TARTARS AND GENGHIS KHAN. 231
stantinople, and Koman envoys were received in re-
turn in his tent at the foot of the Altai range.
The Turks were the first of the nomad organiza-
tions who made their power felt throughout the
civilized world. On the eastern steppes other tribes
came into prominence. The Khitans were supreme
in this region from 900 to 1100 a.d., and made serious
inroads into China. They were followed by the
Kins, or Golden Tartars, a tribe of Manchu origin,
"who proved a terrible foe, conquering and long hold-
ing a large section of Northern China. Then came
the Mongols, the most powerful and terrible of all,
who overthrew the Kins and became sole lords of
the empire of the steppes. It is with the remark-
able career of this Mongol tribe that we are here
particulai'ly concerned.
The first of the Mongol chiefs whose name is pre-
served was Budantsar, who conquered the district
between the Onon and the Kerulon, the earliest
known home of the Mongol race. His descendants
ruled over the clan until about the year 1135,
when the first step of rebellion of the Mongols from
the power of the Kins took place. This was under
Kabul, a descendant of Budantsar. The war with
the Kins continued under later leaders, of Avhom
Yissugei captured a powerful Tartar chief namedTemujin. On returning home he learned that his
wife had given birth to a son, to whom he gave his
captive's name of Temujin. This child, born prob-
abl}- in 1162 A.D., afterwards became the famous con-
queror Genghis Khan.
The birthplace of the future hero was on the
232 HISTORICAL TALES.
banks of the Onon. His father, chief over forty
thousand families, died when he was still young, and
many of the tribesmen, refusing to be governed by
a boy, broke loose from his authority. His mother,
a woman worthy of her race, succeeded in bringing
numbers of them back to their allegiance, but the
young chief found himself at the head of but half
the warriors who had followed his father to vic-
tory.
The enemies of Temujin little knew with whomthey had to deal. At first misfortune pursued the
youth, and he was at length taken prisoner by his
enemies, who treated him with great indignity. Hesoon escaped, however, and rallied his broken forces,
shrewdly baffling his foes, who sought to recapture
him by a treacherous invitation to a feast. In the
end they attacked Temujin in his own country,
where, standing on the defensive, he defeated them
with great loss. This victory brought the young
chief wide renown, and so many allies gathered
under his banner that he became a power in the
steppes. " Temujin alone is generous and worthy of
ruling a great people," was the decision in the tents
of the wandering tribes.
The subsequent career of the Mongol chief wasone of striking vicissitudes. His power grew until
the question of the dominion of the steppes rested
upon a great battle between the Mongols and the
powerful tribe of the Keraits. The latter won the
victory, the Mongols were slain in thousands, andthe power which Temujin had gained by years of
effort was in a day overthrown. Nothing remained
THE TARTARS AND GENGHIS KHAN. 233
to him but a small band of followers, whose only
strength laj" in their fidelity and discipline.
Yet a man of the military ability of Temujin
could not long remain at so low an ebb of fortune.
In a brief time he had surprised and subdued the
Keraits, and next met in battle the powerful confed-
eracy of the Naimans, whom he defeated in a stub-
born and long-contested battle. This victory madehim the unquestioned lord of the steppes, over all
whose inhabitants the Mongols had become supreme.
And now Temujin resolved to indicate his power
by some title worthy of the great position he had
gained. All the Mongol chiefs were summoned to the
grand council or Kuriltai of the tribe, and around the
national ensign, composed of nine white yak-tails,
planted in the centre of the camp, the warriors gath-
ered to hear the opinion of their chief It was pro-
claimed to them that Temujin was not content with
the title of Gur Khan, to which its former bearers
had not given dignity, but would assume the title of
Genghis Khan (Very Mighty Khan). It may be
said here that there are almost as many spellings of
this name as there are historians of the deeds of him
that bore it.
Genghis made princes of his two principal gen-
erals, rewarded all other brave officers, and in every
available way cemented to his fortunes the Mongolchiefs. He was now about forty-five years of age,
yet, instead of being at the end, he was but little
beyond the beginning of his career. The Kins, whohad conquered Northern China, and whose ruler bore
the proud title of emperor, were the next to feel the
234 HISTORICAL TALES.
power of his arms. The dominions of the king of
Hia, a vassal of the Kin emperor, were invaded and
his power overthrown. Genghis married his daugli-
ter, made an alliance with him, and in 1210 invaded
the territory so long held by the Kins.
The Great Wall, which had so often proved use-
less as a barrier of defence, failed to check the
march of the great Mongol host, the chief whoshould have defended it being bribed to desert his
charge. Through the opening thus offered the Mon-
gols poured into the territory of the Kins, defeated
them in every engagement in the field, overran the
rich provinces held by them, and obtained a vast
wealth in plunder. Yet the war was now waged
against a settled and populous state, with strong
walled cities and other fortified places, instead of
against the scattered clans of the steppes, and, despite
the many victories of the invading horde, it took
twenty years of constant fighting to crush the Tartar
emperor of Northern China.
In truth, the resistance of the emperor of the
Kins was far more stubborn and effective than that
of the pations of the south and west. In 1218
Genghis invaded Central Asia, conquered its oases,
and destroyed Bokhara, Samarcand, and other cities.
He next subjected the whole of Persia, while the
westward march of the armies under his lieutenants
was arrested only at the mountain barrier of Central
Euroj^e, all Russia falling subject to his rule. In four
years the mighty conqueror, having established his
rule from Armenia to the Indus, was back again and
ready to resume liis struggle with the Kins of China.
THE TARTARS AND GENGHIS KHAN. 235
He found the kingdom of Hia in revolt, and in
1225 assembled against it the largest army he had
ever employed in his Chinese wars. His success was
rapid and complete. The cities, the fortresses, the
centres of trade, fell in rapid succession into his
hands, and in a final great battle, fought upon the
frozen waters of the Hoang-ho, the army of Hia waspractically^ exterminated. This was the last great
event in the life of Genghis Khan. He died in 1227,
having by his ruthless warfare sent five millions of
victims to the grave. With his last words he de-
plored the wanton cruelty with which his wars had
been fought, and advised his peoj)le to refrain in
future from such sanguinary acts.
Thus died, at the age of about sixty-five years,
one of the greatest conquerors the world has known,
the area of whose conquests vastly exceeded those
of Caesar and Xapoleon, and added to the empii'e
won by Alexander a still greater dominion in the
north. The Chinese said of him that "he led his
armies like a god ;" and in truth as a military genius
he has had no superior in the history of the world.
The sphere of no other conqueror ever embraced so
vast a realm, and the wave of warfare which he set
in motion did not come to rest until it had covered
nearly the whole of Asia and the eastern half of the
European continent. Beginning as chief of the frag-
ment of a tribe, he ended as lord of ncarlj- half the
civilized world, and dozens of depopulated cities told
the story of his terrible career. He had swept over
the earth like a tornado of blood and death.
HOW THE FRIARS FAREDAMONG THE TARTARS.
The sea of Mongol invasion which, pouring in the
thirteenth century from the vast steppes of Asia,
overflowed all Eastern Europe, and was checked in its
course only by the assembled forces of the Germannations, filled the world of the West with inexpres-
sible terror. For a time, after whelming beneath
its flood Russia, Poland, and Hungary, it was rolled
back, but the terror remained. At any momentthese savage horsemen might return in irresistible
strength and spread the area of desolation to the
western seas. The power of arms seemed too feeble
to stay them ; the power of persuasion, however,
might not be in vain, and the pope, as the spiritual
head of Europe, felt called upon to make an eff'ort
for the rescue of the Christian world.
Tartar hordes were then advancing through Persia
towards the Holy Land, and to these, in the forlorn
hope of checking their course, he sent as ambassa-
dors a body of Franciscan friars composed of Father
Ascelin and three companions. It was in the year
1246 that these papal envoys set out, armed with
full powers from the head of the Church, but sadly
deficient in the w^orldiy wisdom necessary to deal
with such truculent infidels as those whom they hadbeen sent to meet.
236
now THE FRIARS FARED AMONG THE TARTARS. 237
Ascelin and his comrades journeyed far tli rough
Asia in search of a Tartar host, and at length found
one on the norihern frontier of Persia. Into the
camp of the barbarians the worthy Franciscan
boldly advanced, announcing himself as an ambassa-
dor from the pope. To his surprise, this announce-
ment was received with contempt by the Tartars,
who knew little and cared less for the object of his
deep veneration. In return he showed his feeling
towards the infidels in a way that soon brought his
mission into a perilous state.
He was refused an audience with the Mongol gen-
eral unless he would perform the ko-tou, or three
genuflections, an act which he and his followers re-
fused as an idolatrous ceremon}- which would scan-
dalize all Christendom. Finally, as nothing less
would be accepted, they, in their wise heads, thought
they might consent to perform the ko tou, provided
the general and all his armj- would become Chris-
tians. This folly capped the climax. The Tartars,
whom they had already irritated, broke into a vio-
lent rage, loaded the friars with fierce invectives, and
denounced them and their pope as Christian dogs.
A council was called to decide what to do with
these insulting strangers. Some suggested that the
friars should be flayed alive, and their skins, stufl'cd
with hay, sent to the pope. Others wished to keep
them till the next battle with the Christians, and
then place them in front of the army as victims to
the god of war. A third proposition was to whip
them through the camp and then put them to death.
But Baithuoy, the general, had no fancy for delay,
238 HISTORICAL TALES.
and issued orders that the whole party should at once
be executed.
In this frightful predicament, into which Ascelin
and his party had brought themselves, a woman's
jiity came to the rescue. Baithnoy's principal wife
endeavored to move him to compassion; but, findini;;
him obdurate, she next appealed to his interest. Toviolate in this way the law of nations would cover
him with disgrace, she said, and stay the coming of
many who otherwise would seek his camp with
homage and presents. She reminded him of the
anger of the Great Khan when, on a former occa-
sion, he had caused the heart of an ambassador to
be plucked out and had ridden around the campwith it fastened to his horse's tail. By these argu-
ments, reinforced with entreaties, she induced him
to spare the lives of the friars.
They were advised to visit the court of the Great
Khan, but Ascelin had seen as much as he relished of
Tartar courts, and refused to go a step farther ex-
cept by force. He was then desired, as he had been
so curious to see a Tartar army, to wait until their
expected reinforcements arrived. He jDrotested that
he had seen enough Tartars already to last him the
rest of his life ; but, despite his protest, he was de-
tained for several months, during which the Tartars
amused themselves by annoying and vexing their
visitors. At length, after having been half starved,
frequently threatened with death, and insulted in
a hundred ways, they were set free, bearing letters
to the pope ordering him to come in person and do
homage to Genghis Khan, the Son of God.
HOW THE FRIARS FARED AMONG THE TARTARS. 239
At the same time that Ascelin set out for the soiuh,
another party, headed by John Carpini, set out for
the north, to visit the Tartars then in Russia. Here
they were startled by the first act demanded of
them, they being compelled to pass between two
large fires as a purification fi'om the suspicion of
evil. On coming into the presence of Bathy, the gen-
eral, they, more terrified perhaps than Ascelin, did not
hesitate to fall upon their knees. To heighten their
terrors, two of them were sent to the court of the
Great Khan, in the heart of Tartary, the other two
being detained on some pretext. The journey was
a frightful one. With no food but millet, no drinlc
but melted snow, pushing on at a furious speed,
changing horses several times a da}', passing over
tracts strewn with human bones, and the weather
through part of their journey being bitterly cold,
they at length reached the court of the Mongols on
July 22, 1246.
They arrived at an interesting period. The elec-
tion of Kujak, a new khan, was about to take place,
and, in addition to great Tartar lords from all quar-
ters of the Mongol empire, ambassadors from Russia,
Persia, Bagdad, India, and China were at hand with
presents and congratulations. The assembled nobles,
four thousand in all, dazzled Carpini with their pompand magnificence. The coronation was attended
with peculiar ceremonies, and a few days afterwards
audience was given to the ambassadors, that they
might deliver their presents. Here the friars were
amazed at the abundance and value of the gifts,
which consisted of satin cloths, robes of purple, silk
240 HISTORICAL TALES.
girdles wrought witli gold, and costly skins. Most
surprising of all was a "sun canopy" (umbrella) full
of precious stones, a long row of camels covered
with Baldakin cloth, and a "wonderful brave tent,
all of red purple, presented by the Kythayans"
(Chinese), while near by stood five hundred carts
"all full of silver, and of gold, and of silk gar-
ments."
The friars were now placed in an embarrassing
position by being asked what presents they had to
give. They had so little that they thought it best to
de(!lare " that they were not of ability so to do."
This failure was well received, and throughout their
visit they were treated with great respect, the khan
cajoling them with hints that he proposed publicly
to profess Christianity.
These flattering hopes came to a sudden end when
the great Mongol ruler ordered the erection of a flag
of defiance against the Roman empire, the Christian
Church, and all the Christian kingdoms of the West,
unless they would do homage to him ; and with this
abrupt termination to their embassy they were dis-
missed. After " travailing all winter long," sleeping
on snow without shelter, and suff'ering other hard-
ships, they reached Europe in June, 1247, where they
were " rejoiced over as men that had been risen
from death to life."
Carpini Avas the first European to approach the
borders of China, or Cathay, as it was then called,
and the story he told about that mysterious empire
of the East, gathered from the Tartars, was of muchinterest, and, so far as it went, of considerable ac-
HOW TUE FRIARS FARED AMONG THE TARTARS. 241
curacy. He was also the first to visit the court of
those terrihlo warriors who had filled the world with
dismay, and to bring to Europe an account of their
barbaric manners and customs.
Shortly after (in 1253) a friar named Eubruquis,
with two companions, was sent to Tartary by Louis
IX. of France to search for Prester John, an imagi-
nary Christian potentate supposed to reign in the
centre of Asia, to visit Sartaeh, a Tartar chief also
reported a Christian, and to teach the doctrines of
Christianity to all the Tartars he should find. Ru-
bruquis did his work well, and, while failing to find
Prester John or to convert any of the Tartars, he
penetrated to the very centre of the Mongol em-
pire, visited Karakorum, the capital of the Great
Khans, and brought back much valuable information,
giving a clear, accurate, and intelligent account of the
lands he had seen and the people he had met, with
such news of distant China as he could obtain with-
out actually crossing the Great Wall.
After his visit information concerning these remote
regions ceased until the publication of the remark-
ably interesting book of Marco Polo, the first to
write of China from an actual visit to its court.
The story of his visit must be left for a later tale.
16
THE SIEGE OF SIANYANG.
In the year 1268 the army of Kublai Khan, grand-
son of Cxenghis the famous conqueror, made its ap-
pearance before the stronghold of Sianyang, an im-
portant city of China on the southern bank of the
Han Eiver. On the opposite side of the stream stood
the city of Fanching, the two being connected by
bridges and forming virtually a single city. Sian-
yang, the capital of a populous and prosperous dis-
trict, was the most important stronghold left to
China, and its fall would be almost fatal to that
realm. Hence Kublai, who had succeeded to the
empire of the Kins in Northern China, and was bent
on making the rest of that country his own, made
his first move against this powerful cit}", which the
Chinese prepared with energy to defend. In all the
history of its wars China showed no greater courage
and resolution than in the defence of this important
place.
The army of Kublai consisted of sixty thousand
veterans of the Mongol wars, with a large body of
auxiliary troops, an army large enough to occupy all
the neighboring heights and form an intrenched
camp around the city ten miles in length. This
done, and all communication by land cut off, steps
Avere taken to intercept all supplies sent hy water.
The Mongols had no vessels, but they set themselves
242
THE SIEGE OF SIANYANQ. 243
with their usual activity to build a fleet, and in a
short time had launched upon the Ilan fifty junks
larger than those used by the Chinese.
Meanwhile Lieouwen Hoan, governor of the two
cities, was strengthening their works and vigorously
repelling every assault of his foes. The city was
surrounded by thick and loft}^ walls and a deep
fosse, was amply garrisoned, and was abundantly
supplied with provisions, having food-supplies, it
was said, sufficient " for a period of ten years."
Thus pi'ovided, the gallant commandant, confident
in his strength and resources, defied the efforts of
the enemy. Threatened by the Mongols with mas-
sacre if he should continue a vain defence, he re-
torted by declaring that he would drag the rene-
gade general in command of their troops in chains
into the presence of the master to whom he had
proved a traitor.
These bold words were sustained by brave deeds.
All the assaults of the Mongols were valiantlj' re-
pulsed, and, although their army was constantly re-
inforced by fresh troops, the siege made very slow
progress. The position of the besiegers was several
times changed, their lines were here extended and
there withdrawn, but all their efforts proved vain,
they being bafiled on every side, while the governor
held out with unyielding fortitude.
A flotilla of store ships on the ITan was met bj''
the Mongol fleet and driven back with serious loss,
but this success was of no great service to the be-
siegers, since the cities were still well supplied.
Thus for three years the siege went on, and it was
24-4 HISTORICAL TALES.
beginning to languish, when new spirit was given it
by fresh preparations on the part of the two con-
testants. Kubhii, weary of the slow progress of his
armies, resolved to press the siege with more vigor
than ever, while the Chinese minister determined to
do something for the relief of the garrison.
A large Chinese army was put into the field, but
it was placed under the command of an incapable
officer, whose dilatory movements promised little for
the aid of the valiant defenders. Nothing would
have been done had not abler and bolder spirits come
to the assistance of the beleaguered host. Litingchi,
governor of Ganlo, a town on the Han south of
Sianyang, incensed by the tardy march of the armyof relief, resolved to strike a promi:)t and telling
blow. Collecting a force of three thousand men,
from which he dismissed all who feared to take part
in the perilous adventure, he laid his plans to throw
into Sianyang this reinforcement, with a large con-
voy of such supplies as he had learned that the
garrison needed.
The attempt was made successful through the
valor of the Chinese troops. Several hundred ves-
sels, escorted by the band of devoted warriors, sailed
down a tribntar}- of the Han towards Sianyang.
The Mongols had sought by chains and other ob-
stacles to close the stream, but these were broken
through b}^ the junks, whose impetuous advance had
taken the besiegers b}' surprise. Eecovering their
spirit, and taking advantage of the high ground
above the stream, the Mongols soon began to regain
the ground they had lost and to imperil the success
THE SIEGE OF SIANYANQ. 245
of the expedition. Seeing this, and fearing the d^,--
feat of the project, Changchun, at the head of one
division of the escort of troops, devoted himself and
bis men to death for the safety of the fleet, charging
so vigorously as to keep the Mongols fully occupied
for Several hours. This diversion gave the other
Chinese leader an opportunity to push on to Sian-
yang with the store-ships, where they were joy-
fully received by the people, who for three years
had been cut off from communication with the out-
side world.
So great were the excitement and joy of the gar-
rison that they flung open the city gates, in bold
defiance of their foes, or as if they thought that the
Mongols must be in full retreat. Their enthusiasm,
however, was somewhat dampened when the muti-
lated body of the heroic Changchun came floating
down the stream, in evidence of the continued pres-
ence and barbarity of their foes. The work of rein-
forcement done, Changkone, the other leader of the
part}' of relief, who had succeeded in bringing to the
garrison certain needed supplies, felt that he was not
wanted within its walls. Outside, Litingchi was hov-
ering near the enemy with a force of five thousand
men, and the gallant admiral of the fleet resolved to
cut his way out again and join this partisan band.
Calling together his lute followers, he extolled the
glory they had won and promised them new fame.
But in the midst of his address he perceived that
one of the men had disappeared, and suspected that
he had deserted to the Mon^jjols with a warnintr of
what was intended. Changkone, however, did not
246 HISTORICAL TALES.
lot this check him in his daring purpose. Gathering
the few war-junlvs that remained, he set sail that
night, bursting through the chains that crossed the
stream, and cutting his way with sword and spear
through the first line of the Mongol fleet.
Before him the river stretched in a straight and
unguarded course, and it seemed as if safety had
been won. But the early light of the dawning day
revealed an alarming scene. Before the daring
band lay another fleet, flying the Mongol flag, while
thousands of armed foes occupied the banks of
the stream. The odds were hopelessly against the
Chinese, there was no choice between death and
surrender, but the heroic Changkone unhesitatingly
resolved to accept the former, and was seconded in
his devotion by his men. Dashing upon the Mon-
gol fleet, they fought on while a man was left to bend
bow or thrust spear, continuing the struggle until
the blood of the whole gallant band reddened the
waters of the stream. The Mongol leader sent the
body of Changkone into the cit}', either as a threat
or as a tribute of admiration. It was received with
loud lamentations, and given a place in burial beside
that of Changchun, his partner in the most gallant
deed that Chinese history records.
This incident, while spurring the garrison to newspirit in their defence, roused the Mongols to a more
resolute pressure of the siege. As 3'ct they had
given their attention mainlj- to Sianyang, but nowthey drew their lines around Fanching as well. The
great extent of the Mongol dominion is shown bj'
the fact that they sent as far as Persia for engineei-s
THE SIEGE OF SIANYANQ. 247
skilful ill siecfe-work and accustomed to buildini; and
handling the great catapults with which huge stones
were flung against fortified places in the warfare of
that age. By the aid of these powerful engines manyof the defences of Sianyang were demolished and the
bridge between the two cities was destroyed.
This done, the siege of Fanching was vigorously
pressed, and, after a severe bombardment, an assault
in force was made. Despite the resolute resistance
of the garrison, the walls were forced, and the
streets became the scene of a fierce and deadly fight.
From street to street, from house to house, the
struggle continued, and when resistance had become
utterly hopeless the Chinese officers, rather than
sun'ender, slew themselves, in which the}' were imi-
tated by many of their men. It was a city of ruins
and slaughtered bodies that the Mongols had won.
The engines were now all directed against the
fortifications of Sianyang, where the garrison had
become greatly dispirited by the fall of Fanching
and the failure of the army of relief to appear.
Lieouwen Hoan still held out, though he saw that
his powers of defence were nearly at an end, and
feared that at any moment the soldiers might refuse
to continue what seemed to them a useless effort.
Kublai at this juncture sent him the following
letter: " The generous defence you have made dur-
ing five years covers 3-ou with glory. It is the duty
of every faithful subject to serve his prince at the
expense of his life ; but in the straits to which you
are reduced, 3'our strength exhausted, deprived of
succor, and without hope of receiving any, would it
248 HISTORICAL TALES.
be reasonable to sacrifice tbe lives of so many brave
men out of sheer obstinacy? Submit in good faith,
and no harm shall come to you. We promise you
still more, and that is to provide all of you with
honorable emploj'ment. You shall have no grounds
for discontent : for that we pledge you our imperial
word."
This letter ended the struggle. After some hesi-
tation, Lieouwen Hoan, incensed at the failure of
the army to come to his relief and at the indiffer-
ence of the emperor to his fate, surrendered, and
thenceforth devoted to the service of Kublai the
courage and ability of which he had shown such
striking evidence in the defence of Sianyang.
THE DEATH-STRUGGLE OF' CHINA.
Never in its history has China shown such un-
yielding courage as it did in its resistance to the
invasion under Kublai Khan. The city of Sianyang
alone held back the tide of Mongol success for full
five years. After its full there were other strong-
holds to be taken, other armies to be fought, and fol-
a number of years the Chinese fought desperately
for their native land. But one by one their fortified
cities fell, one by one their armies were driven back
by the impetuous foe, and gradually the conquest of
Southern China was added to that of the north.
Finally the hopes of China were centred upon a
single man, Chang Chikie, a general of unflinching
zeal and courage, who recaptured several towns, and,
gathering a great fleet, said to have numbered no
fewer than two thou-sand war-junks, sailed up the
Yang-tse-Kiang with the purpose of attacking the
Mongol positions below Nanking. The fleet of the
Mongols lay at that point where the Imperial Canal
enters the Kiang on both sides. Here the stream is
wide and ample and presents a magnificent field for
a naval battle.
The attack of the Chinese was made with reso-
lution and energy, but the Mongol admiral had pre-
pared for them by sending iu advance his largest
249
250 HISTORICAL TALES.
vessels, manned with bowmen instructed to attach
lighted jjitch to their arrows. The Mongol assault
was made before the Chinese fleet had emerged from
the narrow part of the river, in which comparatively
few of the host of vessels could be brought into
play. The flaming arrows set on fire a number of
the junks, and, though the Chinese in advance fought
bravely, these burning vessels carried confusion and
alarm to the thronging vessels in the rear. Herethe crews, unable to take part in the fight and their
crowded vessels threatened with the flames, were
seized with a fear that soon became an uncontrol-
lable panic. The result was disastrous. Of the great
fleet no less than seven hundred vessels were cap-
tured by the Mongols, while a still greater numberwere burnt or sunk, hardly a fourth of the vast
arnuiment escaping from that fatal field.
The next events which we have to record take us
forward to the year 1278, when the city of Canton
had been captured by the Mongol troops, and scarcely
a fragment of the once great empire remained in the
hands of the Chinese ruler.
The incompetent Chinese emperor had died, andthe incapable minister to whose feebleness the fall
of Sian3ang was due had been dismissed by his mas-
ter and murdered hy his enemies. The succeeding
emperor had been captured by the Mongols on the
full of the capital. Another had been proclaimed
and had died, and the last emperor of the Sung dy-
nasty, a young prince named Tiping, was now with
Chang Chikie, whose small army constituted his only
hope, and the remains of the fleet his only empire.
THE DEATH-STRUGGLE OP CHINA. 251
The able leader on whom the last hopes of the Chi-
nese dynasty now rested selected a natural strong-
hold on an island named Tai, in a natural harbor
which could be entered only with a fiivorable tide.
This position he made the most strenuous efforts to
fortify, building strong works on the heights above
the bay, and gathering troops until he had an armyof nearly two hundred thousand men.
So rapidly did he work that his fortifications were
completed before the Mongol admiral discovered his
locality. On learning what had been done, the Mon-
gols at once hurried forward reinforcements and
prepared for an immediate and vigorous assault on
this final stronghold of the empire of China. Theattack was made with the impetuous courage for
which the Mongols had become noted, but the works
were bravely held, and for two days the struggle
was maintained without advantage to the assailants.
On the third day the Mongol admiral resumed his
attack, and a fiercely contested battle took place, end-
ing in the Chinese fleet being thrown into confusion.
The result would have been utterly disastrous had
not a heavy mist fallen at this opportune moment,
under cover of which Chang Chikie, followed by
sixteen vessels of his fleet, made his way out to sea.
The vessel which held the young emperor was less
fortunate. Caught in the press of the battle, its
capture was inevitable, and with it that of the last
emperor of the Sung d3-nasty. Tn this desperate
emergency, a faithful minister of the empire, re-
solved to save the honor of his master even at the
sacrifice of his life, took him in his arms and leaped
252 HISTORICAL TALES.
with him into the Hca. This act of desperation was
emulated by many of the officers of the vessel, and
in this dramatic way the great dynasty of the Sung
came to an end.
But the last blow for the empire had not been
struck so long as Chang Chikie survived. With him
had escaped the mother of the drowned prince, and
on learning of his loss the valiant leader requested
her to name some member of the Sung family to
succeed him. But the mother, overwhelmed with
grief at the death of her son, was in no mood to listen
to anything not connected with her loss, and at
length, hopeless and inconsolable, she put an end to
her own existence by leaping overboard Irom the
vessel's side.
Chang Chikie was left alone, with the destinies of
the empire dependent solely upon him. Yet his high
courage sustained him still ; he was not ready to ac-
knowledge tinal defeat, and he sailed southward in
the double hope of escaping Mongol pursuit and of
obtaining means for the renewal of the struggle.
The states of Indo-China were then tributary to the
empire, and his small fleet put in to a port of Ton-
quin, whose ruler not onlj^ welcomed him, but aided
him to refit his fleet, collect stores, and enlist fresh
troops.
Thus strengthened, the intrepid admiral resolved
to renew the war without delay, his project being
to assault Canton, which he hoped to take by a sud-
den attack. This enterprise seenied desperate to his
followers, who sought to dissuade him from whatmight prove a fatal course ; but, spurred on by his
THE DEATn-STRDGOLE OF CHINA. 253
own courage and a hope of retrieving the cause of
the Sungs, he persisted in his purpose, and the fleet
once more returned to the seas.
It was now 1279, a year after Tiping's death. The3Iongols lay in fancied securit}', not dreaming that
there was in all China the resolution to strike an-
other blow, and probably unsuspicious that a fleet
was bearing down upon one of their captured ports.
What would have been the result had Chang Chikie
been able to deliver his attack it is impossible to say.
He might have taken Canton by surprise and cap-
tured it from the enemy, but in any event he could
not have gained more than a.temporary success.
As it was, he gained none. Fate had destined the
fall of China, and the elements came to the assistance
of its foes. A sudden and violent tempest fell upon
the fleet while near the southern headland of the
Kwantung coast, hurling nearly or quite all the ves-
sels on the shore or sinking them beneath the waves.
The bold leader had been counselled to seek shelter
from the storm under the lee of the shore, but he re-
fused, and kept on despite the storm, daring death in
his singleness of purpose.
" I have done everything I could," he said, " to
sustain the Sung dynasty on the throne. AVlicn one
prince died I had another proclaimed. He also has
perished, and I still live. Should I be acting against
thy decrees, O Heaven, if I sought to place a newprince on the throne?"
It appeared so, for the winds and the waves gave
answer, and the last defender of China sank to doath
beneath the sea. The conquest of China was thus
254 HISTORICAL TALES.
at length completed iifier seventy years of resist-
ance against the most valorous soldiers of the world,
led by such generals as Genghis, Kublai, and other
warlike Mongol princes. In view of the fact that
Genghis had overrun Southern Asia in a few years,
this long and obstinate resistance of China, despite
the incompetence of its princes and ministers, places
in a striking light the great military strength of the
empire at that period of its history.
THE PALACE OF KUBLAI KHAN,
In the middle of the thirteenth century two emi-
nent Venetian merchants, Nicolo and Matteo Polo,
of noble birth and adventurous spirit, left their
native city for a long journey to the East, their pur-
poses being those of ordinary travel and also of
barter, for which they took with them a stock of
jewels, as the commodity of most worth with least
weight. Visiting Constantinople and several Russian
cities, they journe5'ed to the capital of the khan of
Kaptchak, where they remained three years, trading
and studying the Mongol language. Subsequently
they met in Bokhara a Persian ambassador on the
way to the court of Kublai Khan, and were per-
suaded to keep him company as far as Kambalu (the
modern Peking), the capital of the Mongol emperor
of Cathay, or China.
Their journey led them through Samarcand, Cash-
gar, and other cities of the far East, a whole 3'ear
passing before they reached the capital of the great
potentate, by whom the}' were graciously received.
Kublai asked them many questions about their
country, and was very curious about the pope, to
whom he in the end sent them as ambassadors, bid-
ding them return to him with a hundred Europeans
learned in the arts and sciences, for the instruction
255
25G HISTORICAL TALES.
of his people. They reached Venice in 1269, after
an absence of fifteen years.
In 1271 they set out again for China, bearing de-
spatches from the pope, but without the learned Eu-
ropeans they were to bring. Marco, the young son of
Nicolo, accompanied them on their journey, which oc-
cupied three and a half 3'ears. Kublai, though he had
nearl}' forgotten their existence, received them as gra-
ciously as before, and was particularly pleased with
young Marco, giving him a high office and employing
him on important missions throughout the empire.
In truth, he took so strong a fancy to his visitors that
thej^ were not suffered to leave China for 3^ears, and
finally got away in 1291 only as escort to a Mongol
princess who was sent as a bride to Persia.
Twenty- four years had elapsed from the time thej'-
left Venice before they appeared in that city again.
They were quite forgotten, but the wealth in pre-
cious stones they brought with them soon freshened
the memory of their relatives, and they became the
heroes of the city. Marco took part in a war then
raging with Genoa, was taken prisoner, and long lay
in a dungeon, where he dictated to a fellow-prisoner
the story of his adventures and the wonderful things
he had seen in the dominions of the Great Khanof Cathaj'-. This was afterwards published as " II
Milione di Messer Marco Polo Veneziano," and at
once gained a high rejDutation, which it has pre-
served from that day to this. Though long looked
on by manJ'
as pure fable, time has proved its essen-
tial truth, and it is now regarded as the most valu-
able geographical work of the Middle Ages.
THE PALACE OF KUBLAI KHAN. 2o7
Wo cannot undertake to give the diffuse narrative
of Marco Polo's book, but a condensed account of a
few of liis statements may prove of interest, as show-
ing some of the conditions of Chiina in this middle
period of its existence. His description of the great
palace of Kublai, near his capital city of Kambalu,
much the largest royal residence in the world, is of
sufficient interest to be given in epitome. The palace
grounds included a great park, enclosed by a wall
and ditch eight miles square, with an entrance gate
midway of each side. Within this great enclosure
of sixty-four square miles was an open space a mile
broad, in which the troops were stationed, it being
bounded on the interior by a second wall six miles
square. This space, twenty-eight square miles in
area, held an army of more than a hundred thou-
sand men, nearly all cavalry.
Within the second wall lay the royal arsenals and
the deer-park, with meadows and handsome groves,
and in the interior rose a third wall of great thick-
ness, each side of which was a mile in length, while
its height was twenty-five feet. This last enclosure,
one square mile in area, contained the palace, which
reached from the northern to the southern wall and
included a spacious court. Though its roof was
very lofty, it was but one storj- in height, standing
on a paved platform of sevei'al feet elevation, from
which extended a marble terrace seven feet wide,
surrounded by a handsome balustrade, which the
people wore allowed to approach.
Carved and gilt di-agons, figures of warriors and
animals, and battle-scenes ornamented the sides of
17
258 HISTORICAL TALES.
the great hall and the apartments, while the roof
was so contrived that only gilding and painting were
to be seen. On each side of the palace a gi'and flight
of marble steps ascended to the marble terrace which
surrounded the building. The interior contained an
immense hall, capable of serving as a banqueting-
room for a multitude of guests, while the numerous
chambers were all of great beauty and admirably
arranged.
The roof on the exterior was painted red, green,
azure, and violet, the colors being highly durable,
while the glazing of the windows was so neatly done
that they were transparent as crj'stal. In the rear
of the palace were arranged the treasure-rooms,
which contained a great store of gold and silver
bullion, pearls and precious stones, and valuable
plate. Here also were the family apartments of the
emperor and his wives. Opposite the grand palace
stood another, very similar in design, where dwelt his
eldest son, the heir to the throne.
On the north side, between the palace and the
adjoining wall, rose an artificial mound of earth, a
hundred paces high and a mile in circuit at its base.
Its slopes were planted with beautiful evergreen
trees, which had been transported thither, whenAvell grown, by the aid of elephants. This perpetual
verdure gave it the appropriate name of the Green
Mount. An ornamental pavilion crowned the sum-
mit, which, in harmony with the sides, was also madegreen. The view of the mount, with its ever-verdant
trees and the richly decorated building on its sum-
mit, formed a scene delightful to the eyes of the em-
THE PALACE OF KUBLAI KHAN. 259
peror and the other inmatesof the palace. This hill
still exists, and is yet known by its oriirinal title of
Kinshan, or the Green Mount.
The excavation made to obtain the earth for the
mount was filled with water from a small rivulet,
forming a lake from which the cattle drank, its over-
flow being carried by an aqueduct along the foot
of the Green Mount to fill another great and very
deep excavation, made in the same manner as the
former. This was used as a fish-pond, containing
fish in large variety and number, sufficient to keep
the table of the emperor constantly supplied. Iron
or copper gratings at the entrance and exit pre-
vented the escape of the fish along the stream. The
pond was also stocked with swans and other aquatic
birds, and a bridge across its width led from one
palace to the other.
Such was the palace. The city M-as correspond-
ingly great and prosperous, and had an immense
trade. A thousand pack-horses and carriages laden
with raw silk daily entered its gates, and within
its workshops a vast quantity of silk and gold tis-
sues was produced. As Hoangti made himself fa-
mous by the Great Wall, so Kublai won fame by the
far more useful ^vork of the Great Canal, which waslargely due to his fostering care, and has ever since
been of inestimal)le value to China, while the Wall
never kept out a Tartar who strongly desired to get
over its threatening but useless heigiit.
Having said so much about the conditions of pal-
ace and capital, it ma}* be of interest to extract from
Polo's narrative some account of the metiiod pur-
260 HISTORICAL TALES. ,
sued in war during Kublai's reign. The Venetian
attended a campaign made by the emperor against
one of his kinsmen named Nayan, who had under
him 80 many cities and provinces that he was able
to bring into the field an army of four hundred
thousand horse. His desire for sovereignty led him
to throw off his allegiance, the more so as another
rebel against the Grand Khan promised to aid him
with a hundred thousand hoi'semen.
News of this movement soon reached Kublai, and
he at once ordered the collection of all the troops
within ten days' march of Kambalu, amounting in
all to four hundred and sixty thousand men. Byforced marches these were brought to Nayan's terri-
tory in twenty-five days, reaching there before the
rebel prince had any warning of their approach.
Kublai, having given his army two days' rest, and
consulted his astrologers, who promised him victory,
marched his army up the hill which had concealed
them from the enemy, the great arraj- being suddenly
displayed to the astonished eyes of Nayan and his
men.
Kublai took his station in a large wooden castle,
borne on the backs of four elephants, whose bodies
were protected with coverings of thick leather hard-
ened by fire, over which were spread housings of
cloth of gold. His armj^ was disposed in three grand
divisions, each division consisting of ten battalions
of horsemen each ten thousand strong, and armed
with the great Mongol bow. The right and left di-
visions were disposed so as to outflank the array of
Nayan. In front of each battalion were stationed
TUE PALACE OF KUBLAl KHAN. 2G1
five hundred iiif'antiy, who, whenever the cavahy
made a show of flight, were trained to mount behind
them, and to ahght again when they returned to the
charge, their duty being to kill with their lances the
horses of the enemy.
As soon an the order of battle was arranged, wind
instruments of various kinds and in great numbers
were sounded, while the host of warriors broke into
song, as was the Tartar practice before engaging in
battle. The battle began with a signal from the cym-
bals and drums, the sound of the instruments and the
singing growing deafening. At the signal both wings
advanced, a cloud of arrows filling the air, while on
both sides numbers of men and horses fell. Their
arrows discharged, the warriors engaged in close
combat with lances, swords, and iron-shod maces,
while the cries of men and horses were such as to
inspire terror or rouse all hearers to the battle-rage.
For a long time the fortune of the day remained
undecided, Xayan's people fighting with great zeal
and courage. But at length their leader, seeing that
he was almost surrounded, attempted to save himself
by flight. He was made prisoner, however, and
brought before Kublai, who ordered him to be put
to death on the spot. This was done by enclosing
him between two carpets, which were violently
shaken until the spirit departed from the body, the
dignity of the imperial family requiring that the
sun and the air should not witness the shedding of
the blood of one who belonged to the royal stock.
These extracts from the narrative of the Venetian
traveller may be filly followed by a portion of
2G2 HISTORICAL TALES,
Coleridge's remarkable dream-poem on the subject
of Kublai's palace. The poet, having been reading
from " Purchas's Pilgrimage" a brief description of
the palace of the Great Khan,—not the one above
described, but a pleasure-retreat in another section
of his dominions,—fell asleep, and his dreams took
the form of an extended poem on the subject. Onwaking he hastened to write it down, but was inter-
rupted by a visitor in the midst of his task, and
afterwards found himself unable to recall another
line of the poem, only a shadowy image of which
remained in his mind. The part saved is strangely
imaginative.
In Xanadu did Kubla KhanA stately pleasure-dome decree,
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to manDown to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round
;
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place ! as holj- and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon lover
!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced,
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
THE PALACE OF KUBLAI KHAN. 263
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail
;
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war.
THE EXPULSION OF THEMONGOLS.
While the descendants of Kublai Khan, the Mon-
gol emperor, still held the reins of power in China,
there was born in humble life in that empire a boy
upon whose shoulders fortune had laid the task of
driving the foreigners from the soil and restoring to
the Chinese their own again. Tradition says that at
his birth the room was several times filled with a
bright light. However that be, the boy proved to
be gifted bj' nature with a fine presence, lofty views,
and an elevated soul, qualities sure to tell in the
troubled times that were at hand. When he was
seventeen years of age the deaths of his father and
mother left him a penniless orphan, so destitute of
means that he felt obliged to take the vows of a
priest and enter the monastery of Hoangkiose. But
the country was now in disorder, rebels were in
the field against the Mongol rule, and the patriotic
and active-minded boy could not long endure the
passive life of a bonze. Leaving the monastery, he
entered the service of one of the rebel leaders as a
private soldier, and quickly showed such enterprise
and daring that his chief not only made him an
officer in his force but gave him his daughter in
marriage.
The time was ripe for soldiers of fortune. The264
THE EXPULSION OF THE MONGOLS. 2G5
mantle of Kublai had not fallen on the shouldertj of
any of his successors, who proved weak and de<^en-
erate monarchs, losing the firm hold which the
great conqueror had kept upon the realm. It was
in the year 1345 that Choo Yuen Chang, to give the
young soldier his full name, joined the rebel band.
Chunti, one of the weakest of the Mongol monarchs,
was now upon the throne, and on every side it was
evident that the empire of Kublai was in danger of
falling to pieces under this incapable ruler. Fortune
had brought its protege into the field at a critical
time.
Choo was not long in proving himself " every inch
a soldier." Wherever he fought he was victorious.
In a year's time he had under him seven hundred
men of his own enlistment, and was appointed the
lieutenant of his chief. Soon after the latter died,
and Choo took his place at the head of the rebel
band. In it enlisted another young man, Suta b}'
name, who was before many years to become China's
greatest general and the bulwark of a new dynasty.
Choo was now able to prove his powers on a larger
scale. One of his first exploits was the capture of
the town of Hoyan, where he manifested a high
order of courage and political wi.sdom in saving the
inhabitants from rapine by his ill-paid and hungry
soldiers. Here was a degree of self-restraint and
power of command which none of the Chinese
leaders had shown, and which seemed to point out
Choo as the man destined to win in the coming
struggle for a rejuvenated China.
Meanwhile a rival came into the field who for a
206 HISTORICAL TALES.
time threw Choo's fortunes into the shade. This
was a 3'oung man who was offered to the people as a
descendant of the dynasty of the Sungs, the em-
perors whom the Mongol invaders had dethroned.
His very name proved a centre of attraction for the
people, whose affection for the old royal house was
not dead, and they gathered in multitudes beneath
his banner. But his claim also aroused the fear of
the Mongols, and a severe and stubborn struggle set
in, which ended in the overthrow of the youthful
Sung and the seeming restoration of the Mongol
authority. Y,et in reality the war had only cleared
the way for a far more dangerous adversary than the
defeated claimant of the throne.
Masked by this war, the strength aud influence of
Choo had steadily grown, and in 1356 he made a
daring and masterly move in the capture of the city
of Nanking, which gave him control of some of the
wealthiest provinces of the land. Here he showed
the same moderation as before, preserving the citi-
zens from plunder and outrage, and proving that his
only purpose was to restore to China her old native
government. With remarkable prudence, skill, and
energy he strengthened his position. " The time has
now come to drive the foreigners out of China," he
said, in a proclamation that was scattered far and
wide and brought hosts of the young and daring to
his I'anks. Elsewhere the so-called Chinese patriots
were no better than brigands, all the horrors of war
descending upon the districts thej' occupied and the
cities which fell into their hands. But where Chooruled discipline and security pi*evailed, and as far as
THE EXPULSION OF THE MONGOLS. 2G7
his power reached a firm and orderly government
existed.
Meanwhile the Mongols liad a host of evils with
which to contend. Eebel leaders had risen in various
quarters, some of them making more progress than
Choo, but winning the execration rather than tlie
love of the people b}'^ their rapine and violence. Onthe contrary, his power grew slowly but surely,
various minor leaders joining him, among them the
pirate Fangkue Chin, whose exploits had made him
a hero to the people of the valley of the Kiang.
The events of the war that followed were too manyto be here detailed. Suffice it to say that the diflS-
culties of the Mongol emperor gradually increased.
He was obliged to meet in battle a Mongol pre-
tender to his throne; Corea rose in arms and de-
stroyed an army sent to subdue it ; and ChahanTimour, Chunti's ablest general, fell victim to an
assassin. Troubles were growing thick around his
throne.
In the year 136G, Choo, after vanquishing someleaders v^dio threatened his position, among them his
late pirate ally Fangkue Chin, saw that the time had
arrived for a vigorous effort to expel the foreign
rulers, and set out at the head of his army for a
general campaign, at the same time proclaiming to
the people that the period was at hand for throwing
off the Mongol yoke, which for nearly a century had
weighed heavily upon their necks. Three armies
left Nanking, two of them being sent to subdue three
of the provinces of the south, a result which was
achieved without a blow, the people everywhere
2G8 HISTORICAL TALES.
rising and the Mongol garrisons vanishing from
sight,—whether b}' death or by flight history fails to
relate. The third army, under Suta, Choo's favorite
general, marched towards Peking, the Mongol gar-
risons, discouraged by their late reverses, retreating
as it advanced.
At length the great Mongol capital was reached.
Within its walls reigned confusion and alarm.
Chunti, panic-stricken at the rapid march of his
enemies, could not be induced to fight for his last
hold upon the empire of China, but fled on the night
before the assault was made. Suta at once ordered
the city to be taken by storm, and though the
Mongol garrison made a desperate defence, they
were cut down to a man, and the victorious troops
entered the Tartar stronghold in triumph. ButSuta, counselled b}^ Choo to moderation, held his
army firmly in hand, no outrages were permitted,
and the lives of all the Mongols who submitted were
8j)ared.
The capture of Peking and the flight of Chunti
marked the end of the empire of the Mongols in
China. War with them still went on, but the country
at large was freed from their yoke, after nearly a
century of submission to Tartar rule. Elsewhere
the vast empire of Genghis still held firm. Russia
lay under the vassalage of the khans. Central andSouthern Asia trembled at the Mongol name. Andat the very time that the Chinese were rising against
and expelling their invaders, Timour, or Tamerlane,
the second great conqueror of his race, was setting
out from Central Asia on that mighty career of vie-
THE EXPULSION OF THE MONGOLS. 269
tory that emulated the deeds of the founder of the
Mongol empire. Years afterwards Timour, after
liaving drowned Southern Asia in a sea of blood, re-
tui'ued to Samarcaml, where, in 1415, he ordered the
collection of a great army for the invasion of China,
with which he proposed to revenge the wrongs of
his compatricjts. The army was gathered ; it began
its march ; the mountains of Khokand were reached
and passed ; threats of the coming danger reached
and frightened China; but on the march the grim
old conqueror died, and his great expedition came to
an end. All tliat reached China to rejiresent the
mighty Timour was his old war-horse, which was
sent as a present four years afterwards when an em-
bassy from Central Asia reached Peking.
With the fall of the Mongols in China the native
rule was restored, but not with it the old dynasty.
Choo, the conqueror, and a man whose ability and
nobleness of mind had been remarkaldy displayed,
was everywhere looked upon as the Heaven-chosen
successor to the throne, the boy who had begun his
career as a penniless orphan having risen through
pure power of intellect and loftiness of soul to tiie
highest position in the ivalm. He was crowned em-
peror under the title of llongwou, and instituted the
Ming dynasty, which held the throne of China until
three centuries afterwards, when another strange
turn in the tide of affairs again overthrew Chinese
rule and brought a new dynasty of Tartar emjjerors
to the throne.
As regards the reign of llongwou, it may here bo
said that ho proved one of the ablest monarchs
270 HISTORICAL TALES,
China ever knew, ruling his people with a just and
strong hand, and, by the aid of his able general Suta,
baffling every effort of the Mongols to regain their
lost dominion. Luxury in the imperial adminis-
tration was brought to an end, the public money
was used for its legitimate purpose, and even some
of the costly palaces which the Mongol emperors
had built were destroyed, that the people might learn
that he proposed to devote himself to their good
and not to his own pleasure. Steps were taken for
the encouragement of learning, the literary class
was elevated in position, the celebrated Hanlin Col-
lege was restored, and the great book of laws was
revised. Schools were opened everywhere, orphan-
ages and hospitals were instituted, and all that could
be was done for the relief of the sick and the poor.
All this was performed in the midst of bitter and
unceasing wars, which for nearly twenty years kept
Suta almost constantly in the field. The Mongols
were still strong in the northwest, Chungti continued
to claim imperial power, and the army was kept
steadily employed, marching from victory to victorj'-
under the able leadership of Suta, who in his whole
career scarcely learned the meaning of defeat. His
very appearance on the field on more than one oc-
casion changed the situation from doubt to victoiy.
In time the Mongols were driven beyond the Great
Wall, the ex-emperor died, and the steppes were in-
vaded by a great army, though not a successful one,
Suta meeting here his first and only reverse. Thewar ended with giving the Chinese full control of
all the cultivated country, while the Tartars held
THE EXPULSION OF THE MONGOLS. 271
tlieir own in the desert. This done, Suta returned
to enjoy in peace the honors he had won, and soon
after died, at the age of fifty-four years, thirty of
which had been spent in war.
The death of the great general did not leave China
free from warlike commotion. There were rebellious
risings both in the south and in the north, but they all
fell under the power of Hongwou's victorious arms,
the last success being the disper.sal of a final ^fon-
gol raid. The closing eight years of the emperor's
reign were spent in peace, and in 1397 he died, after
an administration of thirty years, in which he had
freed China from the last dregs of the Mongol
power, and spread peace and prosperity throughout
the realm.
THE RISE OF THE MANCHUS.
Twice had a Tartar empire been established in
China, that of the Kin dynasty in the north, and
that of their successors, the Mongols, over the whole
country. A third and more permanent Tartar dy-
nasty, that of the Manchus, was yet to come. "With
the striking story of the rise and progress of these
new conquerors we are now concerned.
In the northeast of China, beyond the Great Wall
and bordering on Corea, lies the province of Liau-
tung. Northward from this to the Amur Eiver
extends the eastern section of the steppes, knownon modern maps as Manchuria. From these broad
wilds the Kins had advanced to their conquest of
Northern China. To them they fled for safety from
the Mongol arms, and here lost their proud name of
Kin and resumed their older and humbler one of
Niuche. For some five centuries they remained here
unnoticed and undisturbed, broken up into numerous
small clans, none of much strength and importance.
Of these clans, which were frequently in a state of
hostility to one another, there is only one of interest,
that of the Manchus.
The original seat of this small Tartar clan lay not
far north of the Chinese border, being on the Soodsu
River, about thirty miles east of the Chinese city of
Moukden. Between the Soodsu and Jiaho streams,
272
THE RISE OF THE MANCHUS 273
and south of the Long White Mountains, lies the
valley of Hootooala, a location of rugged and pic-
turesque scenery. This valley, protected on three
sides by water and on the fourth by a lofty range of
mountains, the whole not more than twelve miles
long, formed the cradle of the Manchu race, the
narrow realm from which they were to emerge to
victory and empire. In a certain respect it resembled
the native home of the Mongols, but was far smaller
and much nearer the Chinese frontier.
In this small and secluded valley appeared, about
the middle of the fourteenth century, when the em-
peror Hongwou was fighting with the Mongols, a
man named Aisin Gioro. Tradition attributes to him
a miraculous birth, while calumny asserts that he was
a runaway Mongol ; but at any rate he became lord
of Hootooala and ancestor of its race of conquerors.
Five generations from him came a chief named Iluen,
who ruled over the same small state, and whose grand-
son, Nooi'hachu by name, born in 1559, was the manupon whom the wonderful fortunes of the Manchus
were to depend. Like many other great conquerors,
his appearance predicted his cai'eer. "He had the
dragon face and the phoenix eye ; his chest was enor-
mous, his ears were large, and his voice had the tone
of the largest bell."
He began life like many of the heroes of folk-lore,
his step-mother, when he was nineteen years of age,
giving him a small sum of mon(;y and turning him
out into the world to seek his fortune. She repented
afterwards, and bade him come home again or accept
further aid, but the proud youth refused to receive
18
27t HISTORICAL TALES.
iroiu her any assistance, and determined to mal<c his
own way in the world.
Noorhachu first came into notice in 1583. In that
j-ear Haida, chief of a small district south of Hoo-
tooala, made an attack, assisted by the Chinese,
on some neighboring clans. One of these was gov-
erned by a relative of the old Manehu chief Huen,
who, with his son and a small force, hurried to his
aid and helped him to defend his town. Haida and
his allies, finding the place too strong for them, en-
ticed a part of the garrison outside the walls, and
then fell upon and treacherously massacred them.
Among the slain were Huen and his son.
This brutal murder left Noorhachu chief of his
clan, and at the same time filled him with a fierce
desire for revenge, both upon Haida and upon the
Chinese. He was forced to bide his time, Haida
gaining such influence with his allies that he was
appointed by them chief of all the Niuche districts.
This act only deepened the hatred of Noorhachu,
who found himself made one of the vassals of the
murderer, while many of his own people left him
and attached themselves to the fortunes of Haida.
Fortunately for the youthful chief, the Chinese
did not strongly support their nominee, and Noor-
hachu pursued his rival so persistently that the
assassin did not feel safe even within his stockaded
camp, but several times retreated for safety into
Liautung. The Chinese at length, tired of support-
ing a man without the courage to defend himself,
seized hini and handed him over to Noorhachu, whoimmediately put him to death.
THE RISE OP THE MANCHUS. 2<0
The energy and success of Noorhacliu in this
scheme of vengeance gave him a high repntation
among the Niuche. He was still hut twenty-seven
years of age, hut had probably laid out his life-work,
that of making himself chief of a Niuche confeder-
acy, and emjjloying his subjects in an invasion of
Chinese soil. It is said that he had sworn to revenge
his father's death by the slaughter of two hundred
thousand Chinese.
He began by building himself a stronghold. Se-
lecting a site in the plain where water was abundant,
he built a town and surrounded it with a triple wall.
This done, ho began the work of uniting the southern
clans under his sway, a task which proved easy, the}-
being much impressed by his victory- over Haida.
This peaceful progress was succeeded by a warlike
movement. In 1591 he suddenl}^ invaded the dis
trict of Yalookiang, which, taken by surprise, wasforced to submit to his arms.
This act of spoliation roused general apprehension
among the chiefs. Here was a man who was not
satisfied with pett}' feuds, but evidently had higher
objects in view. Roused by apprehension of danger,
seven of the neighboring chiefs gathered their forces,
and with an army of thirty thousand Niuche and
Mongols invaded the territory of the daring 3'oung
leader. The odds against him seemed irresistible.
He had but four thousand men to oppose to this
large force. But his men had been well chosen and
well trained, and they so vigorously resisted the
onset of the enem}- that the principal Niuche chief
was killed and the Mon<i:ol leader forced to flee. At
276 HISTORICAL TALES.
tilis juncture Noorliachu charged hits foes with such
vigor that they were broken and put to flight, four
thousand of them being slain in the pursuit. Anumber of chiefs were taken prisoners, while the
sj)oils included several thousand horses and plaited
suits of armor, material of great value to the am-
bitious young victor.
Eight years passed before Noorhachu was ready
for another move. Then he conquered and annexed
the fertile district of Hada, on the north. In 1607
he added to this the state of Hwifa, and in the fol-
lowing year that of AYoola. These conquests were
preliminary to an invasion of Yeho, the most power-
ful of the Niuche states. His tirst attack upon
this important district failed, and before repeating
it he deemed it necessary to show his strength by
invading the Chinese province of Liautung. He had
long been preparing for this great enterprise. He had
begun his military career with a force of one hundred
men, but had now an army forty thousand strong,
well drilled and disciplined men, provided with en-
gines of war, and of a race famed for courage and
intrepidit}'. Their chief weapon consisted of the
formidable Manchu bow, while tlie horsemen wore
an armor of cotton-plaited mail which was proof
against arrow or spear. The invasion was preceded
by a list of grievances drawn uj) against the Chinese,
which, instead of forwarding it to the Chinese court,
Noorhachu burnt in presence of his army, as an ap-
peal to Heaven for the justice of his cause.
The Chinese had supinely permitted this danger-
ous power to grow up among their tributaries on
THE RISE OP THE MANCHU8. 277
the north. In truth, the Ming dynasty, which had
begun with the great Ilongwou, had shared the fate
of Chinese dynasties in general, having fallen inio
decadence and decay. With a strong hand at the
imperial helm the Manchu invasion, with only a
thinly settled region to draw on for recruits, would
have been hopeless. With a weak hand no one could
predict the result.
In 1G18 the Manchus crossed their southern fron-
tier and boldly set foot on the soil of China, their
movement being so sudden and unexpected that the
border town of Fooshun was taken almost without
a blow. The array sent to retake it was hurled back
in defeat, and the strong town of Tsingho was next
besieged and captured. The progress of Xoorhachu
was checked at this point by the clamor of his men,
who were unwilling to march farther while leaving
the hostile state of Yeho in their rear. He there-
fore led them back to their homes.
The Chinese were now thoroughly aroused. Anarmy of more than one hundred thousand men wasraised and sent to attack Noorhachu in his native
realm. But it was weakly commanded and un-
wisely divided into three unsupported sections,
which the Manchus attacked and routed in detail.
The year's work was completed by the conquest and
annexation of Yeh(^, an event which added thirty
thousand men to Noorhachu's resources and com-
pleted the confederation of the Niuche clans, which
had been his original plan.
The old Chinese emperor was now near his life's
end. But his last act was one of his wisest ones, it
278 HISTORICAL TALES.
being the appointment of Tingbi, a leader of skill
and resolution, to the command in Liautung. In a
brief time this energetic commander had placed the
capital and the border towns of the province in a
state of defence and collected an army of one hun-
dred and eighty thousand men on the frontier. Twoyears sufficed to make the province impregnable
to Manchu attack. During this period of energy
Noorhachu wisely remained quiet. But the Chinese
emperor died, and was succeeded by his son, whoquickly followed him to the grave. His grandson, a
boy of sixteen, succeeded, and the court enemies of
Tingbi now bad him recalled and replaced by a manwho had never seen a battle.
The result was what might have been expected.
Noorhachu, who had been waiting his opportunit}",
at once led his army across the borders (1621),
marching upon the strong town of Moukden, whose
commandant, more brave than wise, left the shelter
of his walls to meet him in the field. The result was
a severe repulse, the Manchus entering the gates with
the fugitives and slaughtering the garrison in the
streets. Three armies were sent to retake Moukden,
but were so vigorously dealt wiih that in a few
weeks less than half Tingbi's strong army remained.
Liauyang, the capital of the province, was next be-
sieged and taken by storm, the garrison falling al-
most to a man, among them Tingbi's incapable suc-
cessor meeting his death. No further resistance
was made, the other towns, with one exception,
opened their gates, and in a brief time Noorhachu
completed the conquest of the province of Liautung.
THE RISE OF THE MANCIIUS. 279
Oiil}' one thing kept the Manchus from crossing
the Great Wall and invading the provinces beyond.
This was the stronghold of Ningyuen, which a Chi-
nese officer named Chungwan had reinforced with a
small party, and which resolutely resisted all assaults.
Noorhachu, not daring to leave this fortitied place
in his rear, besieged it with a strong army, making
two desperate assaults upon its walls. But Chung-
wan, assisted by some European cannon, whose noise
proved more terrible to the Manchus than their balls,
held out 80 vigorously that for the first time in
his career the Manchu chief met with defeat. Dis-
appointed and sick at heart, he retraced his steps to
Moukdcn, then his capital, there to end his career,
his death taking place in September, 1626.
Such was the adventurous life of the man who,
while not conquering China himself, made its con-
quest possible to his immediate successors, who ac-
knowledged his great deeds by giving him the post-
humous title of Emperor of China, the Manchu dy-
nasty dating its origin back to 1616. His son, Tai-
tsong, who succeeded him, renewed the attack on
Ningyuen, but found the heroic Chungwan morethan his match. A brilliant idea brought him final
success. Leaving the impregnable stronghold in his
rear, he suddenly marched to the Great Wall, which
he crossed, and was far on the road to Peking be-
fore Chungwan knew of his purpose. At once aban-
doning the town, the Chinese general hurried south-
ward, and, having the best road, succeeded in reach-
ing the capital in advance of the Manchus. But he
came only to his death. Tingbi, the one man feared
280 HISTORICAL TALES.
by Noorhachu, had bcon executed through the ma-
chinations of his enemies, and now Chungwan suf-
ered the same fate, Taitsong, not being able to defeat
him in the field, having succeeded in forming a plot
against him in the palace.
But Peking, though in serious peril, was not taken.
A truce was arranged, and Taitsong drew off his
troops—for reasons best known to himself. Hewas soon back in China, but did not again attack
Peking, devoting himself to raids through the bor-
der provinces. In 1635 he assumed the title of Em-peror of China, in consequence of the seal of the
Mongol dynasty, which had been lost in Mongolia
two centuries before, being found and sent to him.
But Ningyuen still held out, under an able successor
to Chungwan, and in September, 1643, this second
of the Manchu leaders came to his death. The con-
quest of China was reserved for a later leader.
THE MANCHU CONQUEST OFCHINA.
Long years of misgovern ment in China produced
their natural result. Evils stalked abroad while
worthless emperors spent their days in luxury at
home. The land ceased to be governed, local rebel-
lions broke out in a dozen quarters, and the Manchuinvasion was but one event in the series of difficul-
ties that environed the weakened throne. From the
midst of these small rebellions emerged a large one
before which the Ming dynasty trembled to its fall.
Its leader, Li Tseching, was a peasant's son, whohad chosen the military career and quickly gained
renown as a daring horseman and skilful archer.
In 1G29 he appeared as a member of a band of rob-
bers, who were defeated by the troops, Li being one
of the few to escape. A year afterwards we hear of
him as high in rank in a rebel band almost largo
enough to be called an army. The leader dying
after a few years, Li succeeded him in command.
His progress to power was rapid, cunning and du-
plicity aiding him, for often when in a dangerous sit-
uation he escaped by pretending a desire to come to
terms with the authorities. Other rebels rose, wonvictories, and sank again ; but Li held his own and
steadily grew stronger, until, in 1640, he was at the
head of an army of nearly half a million of men281
282 HISTORICAL TALES.
and in a position to aspire to the throne of Peking
itself. Town after town fell into his hands, frightful
outrages being perpetrated in each, for Li was a
brigand in grain and merciless at heart. The efforts
of the emperor to overthrow him proved futile, the
imperial army being sent against him in four divi-
sions, which he attacked and defeated in detail. The
court had learned nothing from the failure of simi-
lar tactics in the war with Noorhachu. After this
pronounced success Li laid siege to Kaifong, an im-
portant city which had once been the capital of
China. He was twice repulsed, but a third time re-
turned to the siege, finally succeeding through a rise
in the Hoang-ho, which washed away the defences of
the city, drowned thousands of its people, and left
it at the mercy of the besieging troops.
Li's next effort was made against the city of Tun-
kwan, the most formidable of Chinese fortresses.
Situated in the mountains between the provinces of
Honan and Shensi, it was strong by position, while
the labor of centuries had added enormousl}' to its
strength. Here fortune aided him, his army follow-
ing into the city a fugitive force which had been
beaten outside. By this time the rebel chief had
made himself so dreadful a record by the massacres
and outrages committed in conquered cities that ter-
ror began to fill the minds of garrisons, and towns
and cities opened their gates to him without ven-
turing resistance.
No longer a mere rebel chief, but master of more
than a third of China, and feared through all the
rest, Li now assumed the title of emperor, and, cap-
THE MANCIIU CONQUEST OF CHINA. 283
turing ev^eiy stronghold as ho advanced, began his
march upon Peking, then a scene of nnimaginablo
terror and confusion. The emperor, who had hesi-
tated to flee, found flight impossible when Li's great
army invested the capital. Defence was equally im-
possible, and the unhappy weakling, after slaj'ing all
the women of the palace, ended the career of the
Ming dynasty by hanging himself. Li was quickly
master of the city, where tiie ancestral temple of the
Mings was plundered and levelled with the ground,
and all the kinsmen of the royal family he could
seize were summarily put to death. Thus was com-
pleted the first phase of a remarkable career, in
which in a few years the member of a band of rob-
bers became master of the most populous empire
of the earth. The second phase was to be one of a
decline in fortune still more rapid than had been
the growth of the first. And with it is connected
the story of the Manchu invasion and conquest of
China.
We have seen in the preceding tale how the heroic
Chungwan held the fortress of Ningyucn against all
the eft'orts of Noorhachu, the Manchu chief. After
his death Wou Sankwei, a man of equal valor and
skill, repelled Taitsong and his Manchus from its
walls. This city, with the surrounding territory,
was all of Northern China that had not submitted to
Li, who now made earnest efforts b}' lavish promises
to win Wou over to his side. Rut in the latter he
had to deal with a man who neither feared nor
trusted him, and to whose mind it seemed prefer-
able that even the Tartars should become lords of
284 HISTORICAL TALES.
the empire than that it should be left to the mercy
of a brultil robber like Li Tseching.
Wou's position was a delicate and difficult one.
The old dynasty was at an end. Those loyal to it
were powerless. He had no means of his own en-
abling him to contend against the great force of Li.
He must surrender or call in foreigners to his aid.
Li this dilemma he made overtures to the Manchus,
asking their aid to j^ut down the rebellion and re-
store tranquillity to the empire,—seemingly with the
thought that they might be dispensed with when no
longer of use.
Not for a moment did the Manchu leaders hesitate
to avail themselves of the promising offer. The manwho for years had stood resolutely in the way of their
invasion of China was now voluntarily stepping from
their path, and even offering them his aid to ac-
complish their cherished project. The powerful for-
tresses which had defied their strength, the Great
Wall which in Wou's hands might have checked
their progress, had suddenly ceased to be obstacles
to their advance, and throughout the camps and
towns of the Tartars an enthusiastic response wasmade to the inspiriting cry of " On to Peking!"'
Wou Sankwei did not wait for their coming. Li
had sent a strong force to meet him, with instructions
either to negotiate or to fight. Wou chose the latter,
and delivered battle with such energy and success
that more than twenty thousand of the opposing force
were laid in death upon the field, no quarter being
given to the flying host. News of this perilous re-
verse roused Li to vigorous action. Knowing nothing
THE MANCHU CONQUEST OF CH"NA. 285
of the approach of a Tartar army, he imagined that
he had onlj' Wou with whom to deal, and marched
against him in person with sixty thousand men, the
pick of his victorious army.
This large force, perhaps three times the numherthat the loyal leader could put in the field, reached
Wou's station on the river Lanho before the van-
guard of the Manchus had appeared. It was obvi-
ously Wou's policy to defer the action, but Li gave
him no opportunit}^, making at once an impetuous
attack, his line being formed in the shape of a cres-
cent, with the design of overlapping the flanks of the
foe. Skilled and experienced as Wou was, the small-
ness of his force made him unable to avoid this move-
ment of his enemy, who, from a hill where he had
taken his station to overlook the battle, had the satis-
faction of seeing the opposing army completely sur-
rounded by his numerous battalions. Wou and his
men fought with desperate courage, but it was evi-
dent that they could not long hold out against such
odds. Fortunately for them, at this critical momenta strong Manchu corps reached the field, and at once
made a furious charge upon the nearly victorious
troops. This diversion caused a complete change in
the situation. Li's troops, filled witli terror at the
vigorous and unexpected assault, broke and fled, pur-
sued by their foes with such bloodthirsty fury that
thirty thousand of them were slain. Li escaped with
a few hundred horsemen from the disastrous field
which was to prove the turning-point in his career.
The delayed >[anchus soon after appeared in num-
bers, and Wou lost no time in following up his signal
286 HISTORICAL TALES.
success. Peking was quickly reached, and there, on
the eastern ramparts, the victor was greeted with
the spectacle of his father's head on the wall, Li
having thus wreaked what vengeance he could upon
his foe. It was an unwise act of ferocity, since it
rendered imi30ssible any future reconciliation with
his opponent.
Li made no effort to defend the city, but fled pre-
cipitately with all the plunder he could convey.
"Wou, marching round its walls, pressed hard upon
his track, attacking his rear-guard in charge of
the bulky baggage-train, and defeating it with the
slaughter of ten thousand troops. Li continued to
retreat, collecting the garrisons he had left in various
cities as he fled, until, feeling strong enough to hazard
another battle, he took his stand near the city of
Chingtung. AVou did not hesitate to attack. Eighty
thousand JMauchus had joined him, and abundant
Chinese levies had raised his forces to two hundred
thousand men. The battle was fierce and obstinate,
Li fighting with his old skill and courage, and night
closed without giving either party the victory. But
under cover of the darkness the rebel leader, having
lost forty thousand men, including some of his ablest
officers, deemed it necessary to resume his retreat.
The remainder of Li's career may be briefly told.
"Wou followed him with unyielding persistency,
fighting at every opportunity and being always the
victor in these encounters. This rapid flight, these
relocated defeats, at length so discoui-aged the rebel
troops that on Li's making a final stand they re-
fused to fight, and insisted on coming to terms
THE MANCHU CONQUEST OF CHINA. 287
with their pursuer. Finding that all was at an
end, Li fled to the neighboring mountain region
with a small body of men, and there returned to the
robber state from which he had emerged. But his
foe was implacable;pursuit was kept up, his band
lost heavily in various encounters, and at length,
while on a foraging trip in search of food, he wassurprised in a village by a superior force. A sharp
combat followed, in which Li was the first to fall,
and his head was carried in triumph to the nearest
mandarin.
Thus ended the career of a remarkable man.
Whatever the Chinese thought of the Mancbus, they
could not but detest the cruel bandit whom they
supplanted, and who, but for their aid and the cour-
age of a single opponent, would have placed himself
upon the throne of China.
Won Sankwei, having rid himself of his great
enemy, now became anxious for the departure of his
allies. But he soon found that they had no intention
ol" leaving Peking, of which they were then in full
control. At their head was Taitsong's young son,
still a child, yet already giving evidence of muchsagacity. His uncle, Prince Dorgan,—or Ama Wang(Father Prince), as his nephew called him.—wasmade regent, and hastened to proclaim the youth
emperor of China, under the name of Chuntche.
Every effort was made to obtain the support of WouSankwei: honors and titles were conferred upon
him, and the new government showed such moder-
ation and sound judgment in dealing with the peo-
ple as to win him to its support,—especially as no
288 HISTORICAL TALES.
Chinese candidate for the throne appeared whose
ability promised to equal that of the young Manchuprince.
The Manchus, indeed, were far fi-om being ruleis
of the kingdom as yet. They held only a few prov-
inces of the north, and a prince of the late native
dynasty had been set up in the south, with his capi-
tal at Nanking. Had he been a capable ruler, with
qualities suited to call Wou Sankwei to his sup-
port and enlist the energies of the people, the tide
of Manchu conquest would very probably have been
stayed. But he proved worthless, and Nanking
was soon in the hands of his foes, its officials being
spared, but required to shave their heads,—the shaved
head and the pigtail of the modern Chinaman being
the badge of submission to Tartar supremacy.
A succession of new emperors was set up, but all
met the same fate, and in the end the millions of
China fell under the Manchu yoke, and the ancient
empire was once more subjected to Tartar rule. Theemperor Chuntche died young, and his son, Kanghi,
came to the throne when but nine years of age. Hewas destined to reign for more than sixty j'ears and
to prove himself one of the best and greatest of the
emperors of China.
AYe cannot close without a mention of the final
events in the career of Wou Sankwei, to whomChina owed her Manchu dynasty. Thirtj- years
after he had invited the Manchus into the country,
and while he was lord of a large principality in the
south, he was invited by the emperor to visit Peking,
an invitation which he declined on the plea of old
THE MANCHU CONQUEST OF CHINA. 289
age, though really because he feared that Tartar
jealousy of his position and influence lay behind it.
Envoys were sent to him, whom he treated with
princely courtesy, though he still declined to visit
the court, and plainly stated his reasons. The per-
sistence of the empex'or at length drove him into re-
bellion, in which he was joined by others of the
Chinese leaders, and for a time the unwisdom of
Kantjhi in not lettin<r well enoufjh alone threatened
his throne with disaster. One by one, however,
"Wou's allies were put down, until he was left alone
to keep up the war. The Manchus hesitated, how-
ever, to attack him, knowing well his great mili-
tary skill. But disunion in his ranks did what the
Tartar sword could not effect. Many of his ad-
herents deserted him, and the Chinese warrior whohad never known defeat was brought to the brink
of irretrievable disaster. From this dilemma death
extricated him, he passing away at the head of his
men without the stif^ma of defeat on his long: career
of victory. In the end his body was taken from the
tomb and his ashes were scattered through the eigh-
teen provinces of China, to testify that no trace
remained of the man whom alone the Manchus hadwooed and feared.
19
THE CAREER OF A DESERTCHIEF.
In looking upon a modern map of the empire of
China, it will be seen to cover a vast area in Asia,
including not only China proper but the wide plains
of Mongolia and the rock-bound region of Thibet.
Yet no such map could properly have been drawn
two hundred years ago. Thibet, while a tributary
realm, was not then a portion of China, while the
Mongolian herdsmen were still the independent war-
riors and the persistent enemies of China that they
had been from time immemorial. It is to the Man-
chu emperors that the subjection of these countries
and their incorporation in the Chinese empire are due.
To-day the far-reaching territory of the steppes, the
native home of those terrible horsemen who for ages
made Europe and Asia tremble, is divided between
the two empires of China and Kussia, and its rest-
less hordes are held in check by firm and powerful
hands, their period of conquest at an end.
It was to two of the Manchu monarchs, Kanghi
and Keen Lung,—whose combined reigns covered
more than a hundred and twenty years,—that the
subjection of these long turbulent regions was due,
enabling China to enter the nineteenth centurj- with
the broad territorial expanse now marked on our
maps. The story of how the subjection of the
290
THE CAREER OF A DESERT CHIEF. 291
nomads came about is a long one, much too long
for the space at our command, yet a brief synopsis
of its leading events will prove of interest and im-
portance to all who desire to follow the successive
steps of Chinese history.
Kanghi, the second Manchu emperor, and one of
the greatest of the rulers of China, having completed
the conquest of the Chinese themselves, turned his
attention to the nomadic hordes who threatened the
tranquillity of his reign. He was one of their ownrace, a man of Tartar blood, and many of the desert
tribes were ready to acknowledge his supremacy,
among them the Khalkas, who prided themselves
on direct descent from Ghengis and his warriors,
but had lost all desire to rule the earth and were
content to hold their own among the sui-rounding
tribes. They dwelt on those streams which had
watered the birthplace of the Mongol tribe, and their
adhesion to the Manchu cause kept all the Mongols
quiet.
But west of these dwelt another nomad race,' the
Calmueks, divided into four hordes, of which the
Eleuths were by no means content to j-ield to Chinese
or Manchu control. Their independence of spirit
might have been of little importance but that it wassustained by an able and ambitious leader, who not
only denied Kanghi's supremacy but disputed with
him the empire of the steppes.
Galdan was the 3'ounger son of the most powerful
chief of his tribe. Full of ambition, and chafing at
the subordinate position due to his birth, he quarrelled
with some of his brothers and killed one of them.
202 HISTORICAL TALES.
Being forced to flee, he made his way to Thibet,
where he sought to obtain admission to the ranks of
the Buddhist clergy, but was refused by the Dalai
Lama on account of his deed of blood. But on his
return to the tents of his tribe he found himself in
a new position. His crime was forgotten or con-
doned, and the fact that he had dwelt in the palace
and under the holy influence of the Dalai Lama, the
supreme religious power in Buddhist Asia, gave hima high standing among his fellow-tribesmen. Theinfluence thus gained and his boldness and ruthless-
ness completed the work he had in mind. The ruling
khan was deposed, all members of his family whose
hostility was feared by Galdan were slain, and ho
found himself at the head of the tribe, whose mem-bers were terrified into submission.
His thirst for power now showed itself in en-
croachments upon the lands of neighboring clans.
The Manchus were at that time embarrassed by the
rebellion of Wou Sankwei, and the opportunity
seemed excellent for an invasion of the district of
the Khalkas, firm friends of the Manchu power.
He also sent troops towards the Chinese frontier,
fear of whom forced many of the tribesmen to cross
the border and seek the emperor's aid. Kanghicould then only give them lands within his realm,
being too much occupied at home to be able to do
more than send spies into the steppes. From these
he learned that Galdan had built up a formidable
power and that he evidently had in view the subjec-
tion of all the tribes.
Kanghi, anxious to settle these difficulties ami-
THE CAREER OP A DESERT CHIEF. 293
cably, spent a number of years in negotiations, but
iiis rival showed as much ability in diplomac}' as
in the field, and succeeded in masking his designs
while he was strengthening his position and pre-
paring for open hostilities. Finally, with an army of
thirty thousand men, he invaded the country of the
Khalkas, and in 1690 took his first open step of hos-
tility against China, by arresting the envoys whohad been sent to his camp. This insult put an end
to all Kanghi's efforts to maintain peace. The dip-
lomatic movements were followed by a display of
military energy and activity, and the whole northern
arm}', consisting of the eight Manchu Banners, the
forty-nine Mongol Banners, and a large force of
Chinese auxiliaries, was set in motion across the
steppes.
Meanwhile Galdan, alarmed by the hostility he bad
provoked, sought to make an alliance with the Rus-
sians, an effort which brought him hollow promises
but no assistance. Without waiting for the coming
of all his foes, he made a vigorous attack on the
Chinese advance force and drove it back in defeat,
remaining master of the field. Yet, recognizing that
the enemy was far too strong for hira, he sent an
envoy to Peking, offering concessions and asking for
peace. The emperor listened, but the army pushed
on, and an attack in furce was made upon the Eleuth
camp, which was located at the foot of a mountain,
between a wood and a stream. The post was a strong
one, and the Eleuths fought stubbornly, but they
were too greatly outnumbered, and in the end were
put to flight, after having inflicted severe loss on
21)4 HISTORICAL TALES.
their foes, an uncle of the emperor being among the
slain. Galdan now, finding that the war was going
against him, offered fealty and obedience to the em-
peror, which Kanglii, glad to withdraw his army from
its difficult position in the desert, accepted, sending
the chieftain a letter of forgiveness. Thus ended the
campaign of 1690.
It was a truce, not a peace. Galdan's ambition re-
mained unsatisfied, and Kanghi put little confidence
in his promises. He was right : the desert chief oc-
cupied himself in sowing the seeds of dissension
among the hordes, and in 1693, finding the Dalai
Lama his opponent, took the step of professing
himself a Mohammedan, in the hope of gaining the
assistance of the Mussulman Tartars and Chinese.
Yet he kept up negotiations with the Dalai Lama,
with the purpose of retaining the Buddhist support.
Meanwhile conflicts between the tribes went on, and
in 1695 Kanghi, incensed at the constant encroach-
ments of the ambitious chief, which failed to sustain
his peaceful professions, resolved to put an end to
the trouble by his complete and irretrievable over-
throw.
The despatch of a large army into the recesses
of Central Asia was a diflficult and hazardous enter-
prise, yet it seemed the only means of ending the
strained situation, and by 1696 a large force was got
ready for a protracted desert war, the principal
command being given to a frontier soldier namedFe3-anku, who in the preceding troubles had shownmarked ability.
On the eve of the great national holiday of China,
THE CAREER OF A DESERT CHIEF. 295
the Feast of Lanterns, the imperial court reviewed
a section of the army, drawn up in military array
along the principal street of Peking. The emperor,
Burrounded by the principal functionaries of the
government, occupied a throne on a raised platform
from which the whole scene could be surveyed, while
strains of martial music filled the air. The culmi-
nating scene in the ceremony took place when Fe-
yanku approached the throne, I'eceived on his knees
from the emperor's hand a cup of wine, and retired
down the steps, at whose foot he quaffed the wine
amid the shouts of thousands of spectators. This
ceremony was repeated with each of the subordinate
generals, and then with the lower ofiicers of the
army, ten at a time. Success being thus drunk to
the army, Feyanku left the capital to assume the
active command in the field, while Kanghi, bent on
complete success, set to work to recruit in all haste
a second army, which he proposed to command him-
self.
The whole force raised was an immense one, con-
sidering the character of the country to be traversed
and the limited resources of the enemy. It marched
in four divisions, of which that under Feyanku num-
bered about thirty-five thousand men. Despite the
great distance to be traversed, the desert-like con-
dition of much of the country, and the fact that de-
ficiency of resources cost thousands of lives and
forced many detachments to retreat, a powerful
force at length reached the borders of Galdan's ter-
ritory. After a march of more than three months'
duration Feyanku pitched his camp near the sources
296 HISTORICAL TALES.
of the Tula, his army being reduced to twelve thou-
nand available men. These were placed in a forti-
fied position within the Mongol camping-ground of
Chowmodo.Meanwhile how was Galdan engaged ? He had
sought, but in vain, to win the alliance of a power-
ful Mongol tribe, and had conducted fruitless nego-
tiations with the Russians of Siberia. His only
remaining hope la}'^ in the desert barrier which laj'-
between him and his great enemy, and this vanished
when the Chinese army made its appearance in his
territories, though its success had been gained at a
frightful loss of life. The situation of the desert
chief had become desperate, his only hope lying in
an attack on the advance body of the Chinese before
it could be joined by the other detachments, and
Avhile exhausted by its long march across the desert
of Gobi. He therefore made a rapid march and
vigorously assailed the Chinese intrenchments at
Chowmodo.In the interval the Chinese commanders had found
themselves in a perilous position. Their supplies
had run low, they could not be replenished in that
situation, farther advance had become impossible,
and it seemed equally impossible to maintain their
position. Retreat seemed their only means of ex-
tricating themselves from their dilemma, and the
question of doing so was under discussion when the
sudden assault of Galdan happily relieved Fej^anku
from a situation which threatened the loss of his
militarj' renown. Of the battle that followed weknow only that Feyanku remained on the defensive
THE CAREER OF A DESERT CHIEF. 297
and sustained Galdan's attacks for three hourd, vvheii
he gave the signal for a charge. The wearied
Eleuths soon broke before the determined onset, a
disordered flight began, and Galdan, seeing that the
day was lost, fled with a small bod}'- of followers,
leaving his camp and baggage to the victors and
two thousand of his men dead on the field.
This victoiy ended the war. Kanghi, on hearing
of it, returned to Peking, having sent word to Fe-
yanku to 2)ursue Galdan with unrelenting vigor,
there being no security while he remained at large.
The recent powerful chief was now at the end of
his resources. He fled for safety from camp to
camp. lie sent an envoy to Peking with an abject
offer to surrender. He made new overtures to the
Eussians, and sougiit in a dozen ways to escape from
his implacable enemies. But Feyanku kept up the
pursuit, ceasing only when word came to him that
the fugitive was dead. Anxiety, hardships, chagrin,
or, as some say, the act of his own hand, had car-
ried off" the desert chief, and relieved the emperor
of China from the peril and annoyance which had so
long troubled him.
In Galdan died a man who, under more fortunate
circumstances, might have emulated some of the
famous Tartar chiefs, a warrior of the greatest skill,
courage, and daring, a " formidable enemy" to the
Chinese empire, and one who, had the government
of that empire been as weak as it proved strong,
might have gathered all the nomads under arms and
overthrown the dynasty.
A few words must suffice to end the story of the
298 HISTORICAL TALES.
Eleuths. The death of Galdan did not bring them
to Hubmission, and years afterwards we find them
hostile to Chinese rule, and even so daring as to in-
vade Thibet, which Kanghi had added to his empire,
they taking its central city of Lhassa, and carrying
to the steppes a vast wealth in sjDoil. Eventuallj''
they were subjected to Chinese rule, but before this
took place an event of much interest occurred. TheTourguts, an adjoining Calmuck tribe, were so im-
perilled by the enmity of the Eleuths that they
took the important resolution of migrating to Russia,
marching across the Kirghiz steppes and becoming
faithful subjects of the czar, who gave them a newabiding-place on the banks of the Yolga. "Manyyears afterwards, in 1770, this tribe, inspired by a
strong desire to return to their own home, left the
Volga and crossed Asia, despite all efforts to check
their flight, until they reached again their native
soil. For the interesting story of this adventurous
flight see " Historical Tales—Russian."
THE RAID OF THE GOORKHAS.
During the past two and a half centuries the great
empire of China has been under foreign rule, its
emperors, its state officials, its generals and trusted
battalions, being of Tartar blood, and the whole
nation being forced to wear, in the shaved head
and pigtail of every man from the highest to the
lowest, a badge of servitude. The firm position
gained by the Manchu dynasty was largely due to
the ability of two emperors, Kanghi and Keen Lung,
who stamped out the spirit of rebellion in China,
added Thibet to the empire, and conquered Mon-
golia, subduing those r&stless tribes which for so
many centuries had been a sword in the side of the
great empire of the East. Their able administration
was aided by their long reigns, Kanghi being on the
throne for sixty-one years, while Keen Lung abdi-
cated after a reign of sixty years, that he might not
take from his esteemed grandfather the honor of the
longest reign. Keen Lung died three years after-
wards, in 1799, thus bringing up the history of
China almost to the opening year of the nineteenth
century. His eventful life was largely devoted to
the consolidation of the Tartar authority, and wasmarked by brilliant military exploits and zeal in
promoting the interests of China in all directions.
299
300 HISTORICAL TALES.
It is our purpose here to tell the story of one of the
famous military exploits of his reign.
The conquest of Thibet had brought the Chinese
into contact with the bold and restless hill-tribes
which occupy the region between China and India.
South of the Himala^^a range there existed several
small mountain states, independent alike of Moguland of British rule, and defiant in their mountain
fastnesses of all the great surrounding powers. Ofthese small states the most important was Nepal,
originally a single kingdom, but afterwards divided
into three, which were in frequent hostility with
one another. West of Nepal was a small clan, the
Goorkhas, whose people were noted for their war-
like daring. It is with these that we are here con-
cerned.
In 1760 the king of Bhatgaon, one of the divisions
of Nepal, being threatened by his rival kings, begged
aid from the Goorkha chief. It was readily given,
and with such effect as to win the allies a signal tri-
umph. The ease of his victory roused the ambition
of Naraj'an, the leader of the Goorkhas, and by1769 the three kings of Nepal were either slain or
fugitives in India and their country had fallen under
the dominion of its recently insignificant and httle-
considered neighbor.
The Goorkhas differed essentially from the Nepal-
ese in character. They despised commerce and dis-
liked strangers. War was their trade, and their ag-
gressions soon disturbed conditions along the wholeHimalaya range. The flourishing trade which hadonce existed between India and Thibet by way of
THE RAID OF THE GOORKHAS. 301
Nepal was brought to an end, while the raids of ihe
dominant clan on neighboring powers excited gen-
eral apprehension. Twenty years after their con-
quest of Nepal the incursions of the Goorkhas into
Thibet became so serious as (o demand the attention
of the Chinese emperor, though no decided action
was taken for their suppression. But in 1790 an
event occurred that put a sudden end to this supine
indifference.
The temples and laniasaries of Thibet were widely
believed to contain a great store of wealth, the re-
ports of which proved highly alluring to the needy
and daring warriors of the Goorkha clan. The Chi-
nese had shown no disposition to defend Thibet, and
this rich spoil seemed to lie at the mercy of any
adventurous band strong enough to overcome local
opposition. In consequence, the Goorkhas prepared
for an invasion in force of the northern state, and,
with an army of about eighteen thousand men,
crossed the Himalayas by the lofty passes of Kirong
and Kuti and rapidly advanced into the country be-
yond.
The suddenness of this movement found the Thi-
betans quite unprepared. Everything gave waybefore the bold invaders, and in a short time De-
garchi, tlie second town of the state, fell into their
hands. This was the residence of the Toshu Lama,ranking next to the Dalai in authority, and possessed
the vast lanuisaiy of Teshu Lumbo, rich in accumu-
lated wealth, wliich fell into the hands of the in-
vaders. A farther advance would undoubtedly have
given them the chief city of Lhassa, since the un-
.']02 HISTORICAL TALES.
warlike population fled in terror before their ad-
vance, but their success at Degarchi had been so
great as to check their march, many weeks being
spent in counting their spoil and subduing the sur-
rounding country.
Meanwhile urgent petitions were sent to Peking,
and the old emj)eror, ai'oused to the necessity for
prompt and decisive action, gave orders that all
available troops should at once be despatched to
Lhassa and vigorous preparations made for war.
Within a few months a Chinese army of seventy
thousand men, armed with several pieces of light
artillery, had reached Thibet, where the Goorkhas,
alarmed by the numbers of their opponents, made
hasty preparations for a retreat. But their spoil
was so abundant and bulky as to delay their march,
and the Chinese, who were well commanded, suc-
ceeded in coming up with them before they had
crossed the mountain passes. The movements of
the Chinese commander were so skilfully made that
the retreat of the Goorkhas without a battle for the
safety of their treasures became impossible.
Suiid Fo, the Chinese general, according to the
usual practice of his people, began by the offer of
terms to the enemy, these being the surrender of all
their spoil and of a renegade lama whose tale of
the wealth of Thibet had led to the invasion. Prob-
ably also pledges for better conduct in future were
demanded, but the proud chief of the Goorkhas
luiughtil}' refused to accept any of these conditions
and defied his foes to do their worst. Of the battle
that followed nothing is known except its result,
THE RAID OF THE aOORKHAS. 303
which was the defeat and hasty retreat of the in-
vaders, much of whose baggage was left behind.
The Chinese do not seem to have suffered greatly,
to judge from the promptness of their pursuit, which
was made with such rapidity that the Goorkhas
were overtaken and again defeated before thcv had
reached the Kirong pass, they being now obliged to
abandon most of their baggage and spoil. The pur-
suit continued with an energy remarkable for a
Chinese army, the Goorkhas, bold as they were bynature, growing demoralized under this unlooked-for
persistence. Every encounter resulted in a defeat,
the forts which commanded the mountain passes and
defiles were taken in succession by Sund Fo's army,
and he still pressed relentlessly on. At a strong
point called Rassoa the Goorkhas defended for three
days a passage over a chasm, but they had grownfaint-hearted through their successive defeats, and
this post too fell into the hands of their enemy.
The triumphs of the Chinese had not been wonwithout severe loss, both in their frequent assaults
upon mountain strongholds and a desperate foe, and
from the passage of the snow-clad mountains, but
they finally succeeded in reaching the southern slopes
of the Himalayas with an effective force of forty
thousand men. Khatmandu, the Goorkha capital,
lay not far awaj'-, and with a last effort of courage
and despair the retreating army made a stand for
the defence of the seat of their government.
Their position was a strong one, their courage that
of desperation, and their valor and resolution so
great that for a time they checked the much stronger
304 HISTORICAL TALES.
battalions of their foes. The Chinese troops, dis-
heartened by the courage with which the few but
brave mountaineers held their works, were filled with
dismay, and might have been repulsed but for the
ruthless energy of their leader, who was determined
at any cost to win. Turning the fire of his artillery
upon his own troops, he drove them relentlessly
upon the foe, forcing them to a charge that swept
them like a torrent over the Goorkha works. The
fire of the guns was kept up upon the mingled mass
of combatants until the Goorkhas were driven over
a precipice into the stream of the Tadi that ran be-
low. B}^ this decisive act of the Chinese commander
many of his own men were slain, but the enemy
was practically annihilated and the war brought to
an end.
The Goorkhas now humbly solicited peace, which
Sund Fo was quite ready to grant, for his own losses
had been heavy and it was important to recross
the mountains before winter set in. He therefore
granted them peace on humiliating terms, though
these were as favorable as they could expect under
the cii'cumstances. Any further attempt at resist-
ance against the overwhelming army of their foes
might have ended in the complete destruction of
their state. They took an oath to keep the peace
with Thibet, to acknowledge themselves vassals of
China, to send an embassy with tribute to Peking
every five years, and to restore all the plunder taken
from Teshu Lumbo.Of the later history of the Goorkhas some words
may be said. Their raids into India led to a British
THE RAID OF THE GOORKHAS 305
invasion of their country in 1814, and in 1816 the\'
were forced to make peace. The celebrated JungBahadur became their ruler in 1846 through the
summary process of killing all his enemies, and in
1857, during the Indian mutiny, he came with a
strong force to the aid of the British, whose friend
he had always remained. In more recent wars the
Goorkhas have proved themselves among the bravest
soldiers in the Indian armj', and in the late warwith the hill-tribes showed an intrepidity which no
part of the army surpassed. The independence of
their state is still maintained.
20
HOW EUROPE ENTERED CHINA.
For four or five thousand years China remained
isolated from the rest of the civilized world, its only
relations being with the surrounding peoples of its
own race, notably with the Tartars of the steppes.
Then, in the nineteenth century, the wall of isola-
tion suddenly broke down, and it was forced to enter
into relations of trade and amity with Europe and
America. This revolution did not come about peace-
fully. The thunder of cannon was necessary to
break down the Chinese wall of seclusion. But the
result seems likely to prove of the greatest advan-
tage to the so-called Celestial Kingdom. It has
swung loose from its moorings in the hai'bor of con-
servatism, and it is not safe to predict how far it will
drift, but it is safe to say that a few j-ears of foreign
war have done as much for it as hundreds of years of
peace and isolatioo.
From time to time in the past centuries Europeans
made their way to China. Some were priestly en-
voys, some missionaries, some, as in the case of the
Polos, traders. Afterwards came the Jesuit mission-
aries, who gained an important standing in China
under the early Manchu emperors, and were greatly
favored by the emperor Kanghi. After his death a
change took place, and they were gradually driven
from the land.
306
HOW EUROPE ENTERED CHINA. 307
The first foreign envoy reached China from Russia
in 1567. Another came in 1653, his purpose being
to establish freedom of trade. A century later a
treaty was made establishing a system of overland
trade between JRussia and China, and since then u
Russian missionary station has existed in Peking.
In 1516 came the first vessel to China under a
European flag, a Portuguese trader. Others fol-
lowed, and trade began through Canton and other
ports. But the foreign traders soon began to act
rather as pirates than as peaceful visitors, and in
the end the Chinese drove them all away. About
the middle of the sixteenth century a foreign settle-
ment was begun at Macao, on an island near the
southeast boundary of the empire, and here the trade
grew so brisk that for a time Macao was the richest
trading-mart in Eastern Asia. But so hostile were
the relations between the Portuguese, Spanish, and
Dutch, and so brigand-Iikc their behavior, that the
Chinese looked upon them all as piratical barbarians,
and intercourse did not grow.
The English had their own way of opening trade
relations. A fleet under Captain Weddell came to
Canton in 1637, and, as the Chinese fired upon a
watering l)0at, attacked and captured the forts, burnt
the council-hou.se, carried off the guns from the forts,
and seized two merchant junks. About fift}- years
afterwards they were accorded trading privileges at
Canton and Ning-po.
To England, indeed, is due the chief credit of
opening up China to the world, though the way in
which it was done is not much to Bn/^land's credit.
308 HISTORICAL TALES.
This was b}- the famous—or infamous—opium war.
But in another way England Avas the first to break
through the traditional ceremonies of the Chinese
court. All who approached the emperor's throne,
foreign ambassadors as well as Chinese subjects, were
required to perform the hotow, which consisted in
kneeling three times before the emperor, or even be-
fore his empty throne, and each time bowing the
head until the forehead three times touched the
marble flooring. This was done by the Eussians
and the Dutch, but the Eai-1 of Macartney, whocame as English ambassador in 1792, refused to per-
form the slavish oeremon}', and was therefore not
permitted to see the emperor, though otherwise well
received.
The first event of importance in the nineteenth
century, that century so vital in the history of
China, was the hoisting of the American flag at
Canton in 1802, which marked the beginning of
American trade with the Celestial empire. Fromthis time the trade of Canton rapidly grew, until it
became one of the greatest commercial cities of the
world, while its mercantile activity ga%-e employ-
ment to millions of natives in all parts of the empire
in preparing articles of commerce, particularl}' tea.
It was also of great importance to the imperial gov-
ernment from the revenue it furnished in the wayof duty and presents. It is of interest to note, how-
ever, that the emperor and his court looked upon
these presents as the payment of tribute, and the
nations that sent them, unknown to themselves, were
set down as vassals of the Chinese crown.
HOW EUROPE ENTERED CHINA. 309
We have now an important feature of the Chinese
trade to record. Opium was a favorite article of
consumption in China, and its use there had given
rise to an important industry in Briiish India, in the
growth of the poppj'. In the year 1800 the emperor,
perceiving tlie growing evil in the use of opium by
his people, issued an edict forbidding its introduction
itito China. This did not check the trade, its on!}'-
effect being to convert legitimate into smuggling
traffic. The trade went on as briskly as before, the
smugglers being openly aided by venal officials not
only at Canton but at other points along the coast.
By 1838 the disregard of the law, and the quantity
of opium smuggled into the empire by small boats
on the Canton River, had become so great that the
Peking government determined to take more active
steps for the suppression of the illicit trade. At this
time there were more than fifty small craft plying
on the river under the English and American flags,
most of them smugglers. Some of these were seized
and destroyed, but as the others were then heavily
manned and armed the revenue officers declined to
interfere with them, and the contraband trade went
briskly on.
At length the difficulty reached a climax. Arrests
and punishments for the use of opium became com-
mon throughout the empire, three royal princes were
degraded for this practice, a commissioner with large
powers was sent from Peking to Canton, and the
foreigners were ordei'ed to deliver up every particle
of opium in their store-ships and give bonds to bring
no more, on penalty of death. As a result, somewhat
310 HISTORICAL TALES.
more than one thousand chests were tendered to the
commissioner, but this was declared to be not enough,
and that official at once took the decisive measure of
cutting off the food-supply from the foreign settle-
ment. This and other active steps brought about
the desii'ed result. Captain Elliot, the British super-
intendent of commerce, advised a complete delivery
of all opium under British control, and before night
more than twenty thousand chests of the deleterious
drug were surrendered into his hands, and were
offered by him to the commissioner the next day.
News of this event was sent to Peking, and orders
came back that the opium should be all destroyed;
which was done effectively by mixing it with salt
water and lime in trenches and drawing off the mix-
ture into an adjacent creek. Care was taken that
none should be purloined, and one man was executed
on the S2)ot for attempting to steal a small portion
of the drug. Thus perished an amount of the valu-
able substance rated at cost price at nearly eleven
million dollars.
We have described this event at some length, as
it led to the first war between China and a foreign
power. The destruction of the opium deeplj- offended
the British government, and in the next year (1840)
Captain Elliot received an official letter to the effect
that war would be declared unless China should payfor the goods destJ'oyed. As China showed no inten-
tion of doing 80, an English fleet was sent to Chinese
waters in the summer of 1841, whose admiral de-
clared a blockade of the port of Canton, and, on
July 5, bombarded and captured the town of Ting-
now EUROPE ENTERED CHINA. 311
hai. Various other places were blockaded, and, as
the emperor rejected all demands, the fleet moved
upon Canton, taking the forts along the river as it
advanced. In the end, when an attack had become
imminent, the authorities ransomed their ciiy for the
sum of six million dollars.
But the emperor did not know yet the strength of
the power with which he had to deal, and still con-
tinued silent and defiant. The fleet now sailed north-
ward, capturing in succession Anioy, Chin-hai, and
Ning-po. Cha-pu was the next to fall, and here the
Manchu Tartars for the first time came into conflict
with the English. When defeated, great numbers of
them killed themselves, first destroying their wives
and children. The forts at the mouth of the Yang-
tse-Kiang were next taken. Here the governor-gen-
eral took care to post himself out of danger, but in
a grandiloquent despatch declared that he had been
in the hottest of the fight, "where cannon-balls in-
numerable, flying in awful confusion through the
expanse of heaven, fell before, behind, and on every
side, while in the distance were visible the ships of
the rebels standing erect, lofty as mountains. The
fierce daring of the rebels was inconceivable ; officers
and men fell at their posts. Every eff'ort to resist
the onset was in vain, and a retreat became inevi-
table."
The result was the capture of Shanghai. The
British now determined on a siege of the important
city of Nanking, the ancient capital of China. The
movement began with an attack on Chin-Kiang-fu,
the " Mart-river city." Here a fierce assault was
312 HISTORICAL TALES.
made, the Manchu garrison resisting with obstinate
courage. In the end, of the garrison of four thou-
sand only five hundred remained, most of the others
having killed themselves. This victory rendered the
capture of Nanking certain, its food-supply was
already endangered by the English control of the
river, and the authorities gave way. The emperor
was now convinced that further resistance was hope-
less, and the truce ended in a treaty of peace, the
Chinese government agreeing to pay twenty-one
million dollars indemnity, to open to British trade
and residence the ports of Canton, Amoy, Foo-Chow,
Ning-po, and Shanghai, and to cede to the English
the island of Hong-Kong, with various minor stipu-
lations.
This war, which was fought with the discreditable
purpose of forcing upon China an injurious drug
against her will, had nevertheless several very useful
results. Other European nations hastened to claim
the same privileges of trade that were given the
English, and in 1844 a commercial treaty was signed
between China and the United States, in the conduct
of which a favorable disposition towards Americans
was shown. The eventual result was the breaking
down of the barriers of intolerance which had been
so long maintained, that ancient and self-satisfied
government being at last forced to throw open its
gates for the entrance of the new ideas of inter-
national amity and freedom of commerce.
But much had still to be done before these desira-
ble results could be fully achieved. Hostile relations
were not yet at an end, annoying restrictions being
now EUROPE ENTERED CHINA. 313
placed on the promised intercourse. In 1856 a na-
tive vessel flying the British flag was seized by the
Chinese, who refused to apologize to the British for
the act. As a result, the city of Canton was bom-
barded and the forts were destroyed. A warlike
demonstration was decided upon by Great Britain
and France, the first result being the total destruc-
tion of the Chinese fleet and the capture of Canton.
A revision of the former treaty and the concession
of greater privileges were demanded, which China,
warned by the lesson of the opium war, found itself
obliged to grant.
The English and French, however, refused to treat
at Canton, as the Chinese desired, but sailed to the
mouth of the Pei-ho, the port of Peking, up which
stream their fleets proceeded to the city of Tien-tsin.
Here arrangements for a new treaty of commerceand the opening of new ports were made, Eussia
and the United States taking part in the negotia-
tions. But on proceeding to the mouth of the Pei-
ho in 1859 to ratify the treaty, the river was found
to be obstructed and the forts strongly armed. TheAmerican and Russian envoys were willing to go to
Peking overland, in accordance with the Chinese
request, but the British and French determined to
force their way up the stream and to take as manysoldiers with them as they pleased. They attacked
the forts, therefore, but, to their disgust, found them-
selves defeated and forced to withdraw.
This repulse could have but one result. It gave
the Chinese for the first time confidence in their
ability to meet the foreigner in war. It humiliated
314 HISTORICAL TALES.
niid exasperated the English and French. They de-
termined now to carry the war to the gates of
Peking and force the Chinese to acknowledge the
supremacy of the nations of the West.
The events of this war we can give only in out-
line. In the summer of 1860 a new attack was made
on the Taku forts, troops being landed to assail them
in the rear, in which direction no arrangement for
defence ha-d been made. As a result the forts fell, a
large body of Tartar cavalry, which sought to stop
the march of the allies with bows, arrows, and
spears, being taught a lesson in modern war b}- the
explosion of shells in their ranks. The capture of
the forts left the way clear for a march on the capi-
tal, which was at once made, and on the 5th of Oc-
tober, 1860, a European army first came within
view of this long-hidden and mysterious city.
THE BURNING OF THE SUM-MER PALACE.
The " sublime" emperor, the supreme head of the
great realm of China and its hundreds of millions
of people, dwells in a magnificence and seclusion un-
known to the monarchs of other lands. His palace
enclosure within the city of Peking, the "Purple
Forbidden City," as it is called, covers over half a
square mile of ground, and is surrounded by a wall
forty feet high and more than forty feet thick.
Within this sacred enclosure the Chinese ideas of
beauty and magnificence have bet-n developed to the
fullest extent, and the emj)eror resides in uiiaj)-
proachable gran<leur and state. Outside the city, a
few miles to the north, lies the Summer Palace, an-
other locality on which the Celestial architects and
landscape artists have exhausted their genius in de-
vising scenes of beauty and charm, and which is
similarly walled in from the common herd. Eeyond
the Great Wall, on the borders of Tartary, exists
another palatial enclosure, the hunting and pleasure
grounds of the emperor, in the midst of an immense
forest abundantl}' stocked with game. To the latter
his supreme majesty made his way with all haste on
hearing of the rapid approach of the English and
French armies. In truth, the great monarchs of the
Manchu dynasty had passed awaj', and the feeble
816
31G HISTORICAL TALES.
reigning emperor lacked the courage to fight for bis
til rone.
On the 5th of October, 1860, the allied armies of
England and France approached the Celestial capi-
tal, the oflScers obtaining their first view of its far-
stretching wall from the tops of some grass-grown
brick-kilns. On the next day the march was re-
sumed, the French force advancing upon the Sum-mer Palace, where it was hoped the emperor would
be found, the English directing their course towards
the city, where a Tartar picket was driven in and
preparations were begun for an assault in force.
The Summer Palace was found in charge of some
three hundred eunuchs, whom Prince Kung, whohad left in all haste the evening before, had ordered
to make a gallant defence. But the entrance gave
way before the impetuous assault of the French, a
few of the defenders fell dead or wounded, and the
remainder beat a hasty retreat, leaving the grand
entrance to the Yuen-ming-yuen, the famous im-
perial residence, in the hands of the daring and dis-
respectful " barbarians."
Into the grand reception-hall, which none had
heretofore entered except in trembling awe, the
irreverent foreigners boldly made their way, their
spurred heels ringing on the broad marble floor be-
foi*e the emperor's sacred throne, their loud voices
resounding through that spacious hall where silence
and ceremony so long had reigned supreme, as the
awed courtiers approached with silent tread andvoiceless respect the throne of the dreaded Brother
of the Sun and Moon.
THE BURNING OF THE SUMMER PALAPE. ?A7
"Imagine such a scene," says Swinhoe. "Theemperor is seated on his ebony throne, attired in
a yellow robe wrought over with dragons in gold
thread, his head surmounted with a spherical crown
of gold and precious stones, with pearl drops sus-
pended round on light gold chains. His eunuchs
and ministers, in court costume, are ranged on cither
side on their knees, and his guard of honor and mu-
sicians drawn up in two lines in the court-yard with-
out. The name of the distinguished person to bo
introduced is called out, and as he approaches the
band strikes up. He draws near the awful throne,
and, looking meekly on the ground, drops on his
knees before the central steps. He removes his hat
from his head, and places it on the throne floor with
its peacock feather towards the imperial donor. Theemperor moves his hand, and down goes the hunililo
head, and the forehead strikes on the step three
times three. The head is then raised, but the eyes
are still meekly lowered, as the imperial voice in
thrilling accents pronounces the behest of the great
master. The voice hushed, down goes the head
affain and acknowlediTrcs the soverei<;n riijht, and the
privileged individual is allowed to withdraw. The
scene described is not imaginary, but warranted by
the accounts of natives.
"How different the scone now! The hall fillo<l
with crowds of a foreign soldiery, and the throne
floor covered with the Celestial emperor's choicest
curios, but destined as gifts for two far more worth}''
raonarchs. ' See hero,' said General Montauban,
pointing to them. * I have had a few of the most
318 HISTORICAL TALES.
brilliant things selected to be divided between the
Queen of Gi-eat Britain and the Emperor of the
French !'
"
General Montauban had declared that no looting
should take place until the British came up, that all
might have their equal share, but the fierce desire of
the French soldiers for spoil could not easil}' be re-
strained. Even the officers were no better, and as
the rooms of the palace were boldly explored, " gold
watches and small valuables were whipped up by these
gentlemen with amazing velocity, and as speedily dis-
appeared into their capacious pockets." Into the
very bedroom of the emperor the unawed visitors
made their way, and gazed with curious eyes on
the imperial couch, curtained over and covered with
silk mattresses. Under the pillow was a small silk
handkerchief, with sundrj' writings in the vermilion
pencil concerning the " barbarians," while on a table
lay pipes and other articles of daily use. On an-
other table was found the English treaty of 1858,
whose terms were soon to be largely modified.
Meanwhile the nimble-fingered French soldiers
had not been idle, and the camp was full of articles
of value or interest, silks and curios, many of themrare prizes, watches, pencil-cases set with diamonds,
jewelled vases, and a host of other costly trifles,
chief among which was a string of splendid pearls
exhibited by one officer, each pearl of the size of a
marble and the whole of immense value.
On Sunday morning, the 7th of October, the orders
against looting were withdrawn, and officers andmen, English and French alike, rushed excitedly
THE RURNINO OF THE SUMMER PALACE. 310
about the place, appropriating every valuable which
it was within their power to carry. What could
not be carried away was destroyed, a spirit of wan-
ton destruction seeming to animate them all. Someamused themselves by shooting at the chandeliers,
others by playing pitoh-and-toss against large and
costly mirrors, while some armed themselves with
clubs and smashed to pieces everything too heavy to
be carried, finishing the work by setting on fire the
emperor's private residence.
Those who paid more heed to observation than to
destruction have given us interesting accounts of the
Summer Palace and its surroundings, who.se vast en-
closure extended from the place where the French
entered to the foot of the first range of hills north
of Peking, six or seven miles awa}'. Over this broad
extent were scattered gardens, palaces, temples, and
pagodas on terraces and artificial hills. Some of
these were like the one seen by Marco Polo in the
palace enclosure of Kublai Khan, being from three
hundred to four hundred feet in height, their sides
covered with forest-trees of all kinds, through whose
foliage the yellow-tiled palace roofs appeared. In
the midst of those hills lay a large lake, containing
two or three islands, on which wore picturesque
buildings, the islands being reached by quaint and
beautiful stone liridges.
On one side of iho lake ran the favorite walk of
the emperor and his court, winding in and out for
more than two miles among grottos and flower-
gardens, roofed in by flowering croopors. Whorepalaces touched the water's edge the walk was
320 HISTORICAL TALES.
carried past on light but beautiful stone terraces
built over the lake. Grandeur was added to the
general beautj- of the scene by the high mountains
of Tartary which rose in the rear.
The work of looting was followed by a sale of the
spoil under the walls of Peking, the auction con-
tinuing for three days, during which a large quantity
of valuable plunder was disposed of. Many of the
French officers had acquired considerable fortunes,
and numbers of their men were nearly as well sup-
plied. For several days intoxication and disorder
prevailed, while the disposition to plunder was ex-
tended from the palace to the neighboring villages.
Meanwhile the preparations for an assault on Pe-
king had gone forward. The Anting gate was the
point selected, the Chinese being given until the 12th
for a peaceful surrender. As noon of that day drewnear, the gunners stood by their pieces, a storming
party excitedly awaited the order to charge as soon
as a breach had been made, and General Napier,
watch in hand, timed the slow minutes. Five min-
utes to twelve arrived. The general was almost onthe point of giving the order, the gunners weregrowing eager and excited, Avhen Colonel Stephen-
son came galloping hastily up with the news that the
gate had been surrendered. In a few minutes moreit was thrown open, a party of British marched in
and took possession, and the French followed withbeating drums and flying flags, forcing the natives
back as they advanced.
That afternoon sevei-al prisoners were restored to
the allies. They proved to have been inhumanly
THE BURNING OF THE SUMMER PALACE. 321
treated and were in a condition of fearful emacia-
tion, while the bodies of several who had died were
also given up, among thein that of Mr. Bowlby, cor-
respondent of the London Times. This spectacle
aroused the greatest indignation in the British camp.
A terrible retribution might have been inflicted upon
Peking had not a jjromise of its safety been given if
the gate were surrendered. But the emperor's rural
retreat lay at the mercy of the troops, and Lord Elgin
gave orders that its palaces should be levelled with
the ground. The French refused to aid in this act
of vandalism, which they strongly condemned,—
a
verdict which has since been that of the civilized
world. But Lord Elgin was fixed in his purpose,
and the work of destruction went on.
Soon flames appeared above the devoted structures,
and long columns of smoke rose to the sky, increas-
ing in width and density as the daj' waned, until the
canopy of smoke hung like a vast storm-cloud over
Peking, and the sorrowful eyes of those on the walls
saw the flashing fire that told of the swift destruc-
tion of what it had taken centuries to build. For
two days the work of ruin in the imperial grounds
went on, the soldiers carrying away what they could
from the burning buildings, though a vast amount
of property was destroyed, the loss being estimated
at a value of over ten million dollars.
Threats were now made that unless compensation
should be paid for the British subjects maltreated
and murdered, and the treaty signed within a fixed
period, the palace in Peking would be seized and
other steps of violence taken. There was no redress
21
322 HISTORICAL TALES.
for the Chinese. They were in the grasp of their
foes and were obliged to submit. On the 24th, Lord
Elgin was carried in state in his green sedan-chair
through the principal street of the city, attended
by a force of about eight thousand soldiers, while
multitudes of Chinese viewed the procession with
curious eyes. Prince Kung awaited him in a large
hall, and here the Treaty of Tien-tsin, to obtain a
ratification of which the allies had come to Peking,
was formally executed. At the close of the cere-
monies the prince tendered a banquet, but the British
declined the proffered honor, fearing that they might
be poisoned by the Chinese cooks. A similar ban-
quet offered to the French on the following day wasreadily accepted, and none of them suffered through
their faith in the honor of their host.
Since the date of this war the process of opening
China to the nations of theWest has gone unceasingly
on, the policy of exclusion of that old nation slowly
but steadily giving way. In 1873, on the youngemperor Tung-chi attaining his majority, the long-
refused audience with the emperor without perform-
ing the kotow was granted, the ambassador of Japan
being first received, and after him those of the United
States, Eussia, Great Britain, France, and the Xether-
lands. For the first time foreigners were permitted
to stand erect and gaze with uplifted eyes on " the
sacred countenance," and the equality with the em-peror of the monarchs of the West was acknowledged
by the Celestial court.
A GREAT CHRISTIAN MOVE-MENT AND ITS FATE.
The Chinese are a peculiar people, and have odd
ideas of the power and dut}- of their monarchs and
of their own rights and duties. Tn their country no
son has the right to resist his father, even if he bo
treated with tyrannical cruelty. But in regard to
the emperor, though they look upon him as the father
of his people, they claim the right to depose him and
put him to death if he plays the tyrant. So long as
he rules with justice and wisdom both man and
nature acknowledge his authority, but if he violates
the principles of justice and goodness the Chinamanclaims the riglit to rebel, while such evils of nature
as pestilence and ftimine, destructive storms and
earthquakes, are held as proofs that Heaven is with-
drawing from the weak or wicked emperor the right
to rule.
The history of the empire is full of instances of
popular rebellions against offending rulers, some
quelled, others hurling the monarch from his throne,
and in this way most of the old dynasties ended and
new ones began. The course of events brought about
such a state of affairs in the nineteenth century.
Though the Chinese have never been content with
their Manchu rulers, they submitted to them as long
as they were just and public-spirited. But in time
323
324 HISTORICAL TALES.
this dynasty suffered the fate of all others, weak
emperors following the strong ones, and in the
reign of the incompetent Kea-king, who succeeded
Keen Lung, rebellions broke out in a dozen quar-
ters, pirates ravaged the coast, and the disaffection
extended throughout the realm.
In 1820 this weak emperor died, and was succeeded
by Taou-kwang, who proved even less fit to rule than
his father, devoting himself to the pursuit of pleasui'e
and leaving the empire to take care of itself Soon
new rebels were in the field, whom the armies proved
unable to put down, and the disorganization of the
empire made rapid progress. Even the Meaou-tsze,
or hill-tribes, the descendants of the first inhabitants
of the country, rose in arms and defeated an army
of thirty thousand men. War with the English
added to the discontent, which grew greater until
1850, when the emperor died and his son Heen-fung
ascended the throne.
This was going fiom bad to worse. The new em-
peror was still more selfish and tyrannical than his
father, and under the control of his craving for sen-
sual pleasui-es paid no heed to the popular cry for
reform. The discontent was now coming to a head.
In the south broke out a revolt-, whose leaders pro-
claimed as emperor a youth said to be a descendant
of the Ming dynasty, who took the rojal name of
Teen-tih, or "Heavenly Virtue." But he and his
followers soon vanished before another and abler
aspirant to the throne, the first man with a genius
for command who had headed any of these rebel
outbreaks.
A GREAT CHUISTIAN MOVEMENT AND ITS FATE. 325
The leader of thi8 remarkable movement sprang
from the lowest ranks of the people, being the son
of a peasant dwelling in a village near Canton.
Hung Sew-tseuen was a man of ardent imagination
and religious enthusiasm. Strange visions came to
him, and held him captive for some forty days, in
which the visitors of his dreaming fancy urged him
to destroy the idols. Some years afterwards he read
a Christian pamphlet containing chapters from the
Scriptures, and found it to correspond closely with
what he had seen and heard in his vision. Inspired
by these various influences, he felt himself divinely
commissioned to restore his country to the worship
of the true God, and set out on a mission to convert
the people to his new faith.
Fung-Yun-san, one of his first converts, ardently
joined him, and the two traversed the country far
and wide, preaching the religion of the Christian
God. Their success was great, their converts all
giving up the worship of Confucius and renouncing
idolatry. Some of them were arrested for destroy-
ing idols, among them Fung-Yun-san, but on the wayto prison he converted the soldiers of his guard, whoset him free and followed him as disciples. Manyof the converts were seized with convulsions, some
professed to have the gift of healing, and the move-
ment took on the phase of strong religious ecstasy
and enthusiasm.
It was in 1850 that this effort assumed a political
character. A large force of pirates had been driven
by a British fleet from the sea, and on shore they
joined the bandits of the south, and became- rebels
326 HISTORICAL TALES.
against the Manchu rule. Hung's converts were
mostly among this people, who soon took a strong
stand ajrainst the misrule of the Tartars. The move-
ment grew rapidly. From all sides recruits came to
the rebel ranks, among them two women chiefs, each
at the head of about two thousand men. Hung nowproclaimed himself as sent by Heaven to drive out
the Tartars—whom he declared to be examples of
all that was base and vile—and to place a Chinese
emperor on his country's throne.
Putting his forces in march, Hung made a remark-
able progress of about one thousand miles to Woo-chang on the Yang-tse-Kiang and down that stream,
the army fighting its way through all opposition.
When towns and cities submitted their people were
spared. Slaughter awaited those who resisted. Food
and clothing were obtained by requisition on the
people. The imperial troops were hurled back in
defeat wherever met. Before battle it was the cus-
tom of the insurgents to kneel down and invoke the
protection of God, after which they would charge
their enemies with resistless zeal. City after city
fell before them, and the whole empire regarded their
march with surprise and dismay.
The converts professed faith in the Christian Scrip-
tures, of which an imperfect translation was distrib-
uted among them. Hung announced that in case of
success the Bible would be substituted for the worksof Confucius. The Sabbath was strictlj^ observed
among them, forms of prayer to the Supreme Being
were in constant use, and Englishmen who cameamong them spoke in the highest terms of their
A GREAT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT AND ITS FATE. 327
pious devotion and their great kindliness of feeling.
They welcomed Europeans as " brethren from across
the sea" and as fellow-worshippers of " Yesu."
Fi'om Woo-chang Hung led his army in 1852 downthe river towards Nanking, which he had fixed upon
as the capital of his new empire. The disaffection
of the people of Nanking was so great that little
resistance was made except by the Tartar garrison,
who were all put to death when the city fell. Being
now in possession of the ancient capital of the king-
dom, Hung proclaimed himself emperor under the
name of Teen Wang, or "Heavenly King," giving to
his dynasty the title of the Tai-ping.
And now for a number of years victory followed
every movement of the Tai-ping army. Four load-
ing cities of Central China were quickly occupied,
and a brilliant march to the north was begun, in
which, cutting loose from its base of supplies, the
rebel host forced its way through all obstacles. The
army penetrated as far north as Tientsin, and Pe-
king itself was in imminent peril, being saved only
by a severe repulse of the rebel forces. The ad-
vance of the British and French upon Peking aided
the cause of the insurgents, and fear of them had
much to do with the prompt surrender of the city
to the foreign invaders.
After the war the tide of the insurrection turned
and its decline began, mainly through the aid given
by the English to the government forces. Ignoring
the fact that the movement was a Christian one, and
might have gone far towards establishing Christi-
anit}' among the Chinese, and friendly relations with
328 HISTORICAL TALES.
foreign peoples, the English seemed mainly gov-
erned by the circumstance that opium was pro-
hibited by the Tai-ping government at Nanking,
the trade in this pernicious drug proving a far
stronger interest with them than the hopeful results
from the missionary movement.
Operations against the insurgents took place
through the treaty ports, and British and French
troops aided the imperial forces. The British cruis-
ers treated the Tai-ping junks as pirates, because
they captured Chinese vessels, and the soldiers and
sailors of Great Britain took part in forty-three bat-
tles and massacres in which over four hundred thou-
sand of the Tai-pings were killed. More than two
millions of them are said to have died of starvation
in the famine caused by the operations of the Chi-
nese, British, and French allies.
General Ward, an American, led a force of natives
against them, but their final overthrow was due to
the famous Colonel Gordon, " Chinese Gordon," as
he was subsequently known. He was not long in
organizing the imperial troops, the " Ever-Victorious
Army," into a powerful force, and in taking the field
against the rebels. From that day their fortunes
declined. City after city was taken from their gar-
risons, and in July. 1864, Nanking was invested with
an immense army. Its fall ended the hopes of the
Tai-ping dynasty. For three days the slaughter con-
tinued in its streets, while the new emperor avoided
the sword of the foe by suicide. Those who escaped
fled to their former homes, where many of themjoined bands of banditti.
A GREAT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT AND ITS PATE. 329
Thus came to a disastrous end, through the aid of
foreign arms, the most remarkable insurrectionary
movement that China has ever known. What woukl
have been its result had the Chinese been left to
themselves it is not easy to say. The indications are
strong that the Manchu dynasty would have fallen
and the Chinese regained their own again. And the
Christian faith and worship of the rebels, with their
marked friendliness to foreigners, might have worked
a moral and political revolution in the Chinese em-
pire, and lifted that ancient land into a far higher
position than it occupies to-day. But the interests
of the opium trade were threatened, and before this
all loftier considerations had to give way.
COREA AND ITS NEIGHBORS.
"We have thus far followed the course of two dis-
tinct streams of history, that of Japan and that of
China, flowing near each other, yet touching at very
few points in their course. Near the end of the nine-
teenth century these two streams flowed together,
and the histories of the two countries became one,
in the war in which their difference in military skill
was so strikingly displayed. Japan made use of the
lessons which it had well learned in its forty years
of intercourse with Europe. China fought in the
obsolete fashion of a past age. As a result, the cum-
bersome mediaeval giant went down before the alert
modern dwarf, and the people of Eastern Asia were
taught a new and astounding lesson in the art of
war.
Between China and Japan lies the kingdom of
Corea, separated by a river from the former, by a
strait of the ocean from the latter, claimed as a vas-
sal state by both, yet preserving its individuality as
a state against the pair. It has often been invaded
by China, but never conquered. It has twice been
invaded by Japan, as described in preceding tales,
and made tributary, but not conquered. Thus it re-
mained until the end of the nineteenth century, whenit was to become the cause of a war between the two
rival empires.
330
COREA AND ITS NEIGHBORS. 331
During the long history of China and Japan these
countries very rarely came into conflict with each
other. Only once has China invaded Japan, whenKublai Khan, the Mongol emperor, attempted its
conquest with a great fleet, the fate of which wehave already told. This effort had its influence upon
Japan, for during the succeeding three centuries
pirates from the island empire boldly raided the
coast of Cbina, devastating the maritime provinces
and causing immense loss and suffering. They often
built forts on the shore, from which they sallied forth
to plunder and burn, keei^ing their ships at hand
ready to fly if defeated. Thus they went on, plunder-
ing and destroying, their raids reaching a ruinous
stage in 1558 and the succeeding years. They de-
feated the Chinese troops in several battles, ravaged
the whole surrounding country, carried off immense
quantities of spoil, sold multitudes of prisoners into
slavery, and in seven or eight years slaughtered over
one hundred thousand soldiers and citizens of China.
The raids resembled those made at an earlier date bythe Normans on the coast of France and the Danes
on that of England, the sea-rovers pouncing downat unexpected times and places and j^lundering and
burning at will.
These forays of the pirates, in which the govern-
ment took no part, were followed in 1592 by an in-
vasion in force of the kingdom of Corea. In this
the invaders rapidly swept all before them, quickly
overrunning the southern half of the kingdom and
threatening China. The Chinese then came to the
aid of their helpless neighbors, and for six years the
332 HISTORICAL TALES.
war went on, the Japanese being usually successful
in the field, but gradually forced back from want of
supplies, as the country was devastated and their
own land distant. In the end Hideyoshi, the sho-
gun, died, and the army was withdrawn, Japan hold-
ing the port of Fusan as the sole result of its costly
cff'ort. Tills Corean port it still retains.
And now three hundred j'^ears passed away in
which Corea remained free and isolated from the
world. It wanted no more intercourse with for-
eigners. Once a year a fair was held in the neutral
zone between China and Corea, but any Chinamanfound on Corean soil after the fair ended was liable
to be put to death. The Japanese were kept out by
laws as severe. In fact, the doors of the kingdom
were closed against all of foreign birth, the coasts
carefuU}'^ patrolled, and beacon-fires kindled on the
hill-tops to warn the capital whenever any strange
vessel came within sight. All foreigners wrecked
on the coast were to be held as prisoners until death.
Such was the threatened fate of some Dutch sailors
wrecked there during the seventeenth century, whoescaped after fourteen years' confinement. Dreadof China and Japan induced the king to send envoys
with tribute to Peking and Yedo. but the tribute wassmall, and the isolation was maintained, Corea win-
ning for itself the names of the Hermit Xation and
the Forbidden Land.
It was not until within recent years that this
policy of isolation was overthrown and Corea opened
to the world. How this was done may be briefly
told. In spite of the Corean watchfulness, some
COREA AND ITS NEIGHBORS. 333
French missionaries long ago penetrated into the
land and made many converts, who were afterwards
severely persecuted. French fleets were sent there
in 1866 and later, and a fight took place in which
the French were repulsed. In consequence the per-
secution of the Christians grew more severe. War-
ships were sent by different nations to try to open
trade, but in vain, and finally an American trading
vessel was destroyed and its crew massacred.
This affair brought a fleet from the United States
to the coast of Corea in 1871, which, being fired on
from the shore, attacked and captured five Corean
forts. The opening of Corea was finally due to Japan.
In 1876 the Japanese did what Commodore Perry
had done to themselves twenty-two j'ears before. Afleet was sent which sailed up within sight of Seoul,
tbe capital, and by a display of men and guns forced
the government to sign a treaty opening the country
to trade through the port of Fusan. In 1880 Che-
mulpo was also made an open port. Two years after-
wards a United States fleet obtained similar conces-
sions, and within a short time most of the countries
of Europe were admitteil to trade, and the long
isolation of the Hermit Kingdom was at an end.
These events were followed by a rivalry between
China and Japan, in which the latter country showed
itself much the more active and alert. Imposing
Japanese consulates were built in Seoul, flourishing
settlements were laid out, ami energetic steps taken
to make Japan the paramount power in Corea. As
a result, the Coreans became divided into two fac-
tions, a pi'ogressive one which favored the Japanese,
334 HISTORICAL TALES.
and a conservative one which was more in touch
with tlie backwardness of China and whose members
hated the stirring islanders.
In 1882 a plot was formed by the Min faction, the
active element in the conservative party, to drive
the Japanese out of Seoul. The intruders were at-
tacked, a number of them were murdered, and the
minister and others had to fight their way to the
sea-shore, where they escaped on a junk. Two years
afterwards a similar outbreak took place, and the
Japanese were once more forced to fight for their
lives from Seoul to the sea. On this occasion Chi-
nese soldiers aided the Coreans, an act which threat-
ened to involve Japan and China in war. The dis-
pute was settled in 1885 by a treaty, in which both
countries agreed to withdraw their troops from Corea
and to send no officers to drill the Corean troops. If
at any future time disturbances should call for the
sending of troops to Corea, each country must notify
the other before doing so. And thus, for nine years,
the rivahy of the foreign powers ceased.
Meanwhile internal discontent was rife in the Co-
rean realm. The people were oppressed by heavy
taxes and the other evils of tj^ranny and misgovern-
ment, excited by the political questions described, and
stirred to great feeling by the labors of the Christian
missionaries and the persecution of their converts.
One outcome of this was a new religious sect. At the
same time that the Tai-ping rebels were spreading
their new doctrines in China, a prophet, Choi-Chei-
Ou by name, arose in Corea, who taught a doctrine
made up of dogmas of the three religions of China,
COREA AND ITS NEIGHBORS. 335
with some Christian ideas thrown in. This prophet
was seized as a Roman Catholic in 1865 and executed,
'but his followers, known as the Tong-Haks, held
firm to their faith. In 1893 some of them appeared
with complaints of ill usage at the king's palace, and
in March, 1894, they broke out in open revolt, and
increased in numbers so rapidly that by May they
were said to be twenty thousand strong.
The government troops drove them back into a
mountain region, but here the pursuers were cun-
ningly led into an ambuscade and routed with severe
loss. This victory of the rebels filled the government
with consternation, which became greater \vhen the
insurgents, on June 1, took the capital of the prov-
ince of Cholla. It was now feared that they would
soon be at the gates of Seoul.
This iusurrection of the Tong-Haks was the in-
citing cause of the war between China and Japan.
The Min faction, then at the head of affairs, was so
alarmed that aid from China was imjjlored, and a
force of about two thousand Chinese troops was sent
to the port of Asan. Some Chinese men-of-war were
also despatched. This action of China was quickly
followed by similar action on the part of Japan,
which was jealous of any Chinese movement in
Corea. The Japanese minister, who had been ab-
sent, returned to Seoul with four hundred marines.
Other troops quicklj- followed, and in a short time
there were several thousand Japanese soldiers sta-
tioned around the Corean capital.
The sending of troops to Corea was succeeded by
disputes between the two foreign powers. China
336 HISTORICAL TALES.
claimed to be suzerain of Corea, a claim which Japan
sternly denied. On the other hand, the Japanese
government declared that the Tong-IIuk movement
was a natural result of the prevailing misgovern-
ment, and could not be overcome unless radical re-
forms were carried out. China was usked to take
part in instituting a series of reforms, but declined.
The situation quickly grew serious. The Mins,
who controlled the government, declared that the
Japanese troops must be withdrawn before the re-
forms could be instituted. The Japanese refused.
Neither China nor Japan would yield, but the latter
held the capital and had the controlling position.
It was not long before a crisis came. On July 20,
Otori, the Japanese minister, made certain demands
on the Corean government, and stated that the pres-
ence of the Chinese soldiers was a threat to the inde-
pendence of the country, their general having pro-
claimed that Corea was a vassal state. On the 22d the
officials answered that the Chinese had come at their
request and would stay until asked to leave. The
next step of the Japanese was a warlike one. On the
early morning of the 23d two battalions marched
from their camp, stating that they were going to at-
tack the Chinese at Asan. But they quicklj- changed
the direction of their march, advanced upon the pal-
ace, drove out the Corean guard, and took possession
both of the palace and of the king. They declared
they had come to deliver him from an obnoxious fac-
tion and restore his freedom of action.
The Min party was at once driven out and replaced
by new officials chosen from the progressive faction.
COREA AND ITS NEIGHBORS. 337
With a feeble resistance, in wliich only two men were
killed and a few wounded, a revolution had been ac-
complished and a government which favored Japan
established. The new authorities at once declared the
Chinese at Asan to be intruders instead of defenders,
and requested the aid of the Japanese to drive themout. War between China and Japan was at hand.
Hostilities were precipitated by a startling event.
On July 25 three Japanese men-of-war, cruising in
the Yellow Sea, sighted two ships of the Chinese
navy convoying a transport which had on board
about twelve hundred troops. They were a portion
of a large force which was being sent to Corea with
the purpose of reinforcing the troops at Asan and
expelling the Japanese.
The Chinese ships were cleai*ed for action, and,
though the Japanese were ignorant of the late event
at Seoul, they at once accepted the wager of battle,
and attacked the ships of the enemy with such effect
that they were quickly cripjiled and put to flight.
The Xaniwa, the Japanese flagship, now approached
the transport, a chartered British vessel named the
Kowshing and flying the British flag. A boat wassent from the Japanese cruiser to the steamer, her
papers were examined, and orders given that she
should follow the Naniwa. This the Chinese gen-
erals refused to do, excitedly declaring that they
would perish rather than be taken prisoners. Their
excitement was shared by the troops, who ran wildly
about the deck, threatening the officers and the
Europeans on board with death if they attempted
to obey the order of the enemy.
22
338 HISTORICAL TALES.
They trusted to the protection of the British flag,
but it proved of no avail, for the captain of the
Naniwa, finding his orders defied, opened fire on the
transport, with such effect that in half an hour it went
to the bottom, carrying down with it over one thou-
sand souls. The officers, the Europeans, and many of
the Chinese sprang overboard, but numbers of these
were shot in the water by the frantic soldiers on board.
In all only about one hundred and seventy escaped.
This terrible act of war at sea was accompanied
by a warlike movement on land, the Japanese forces
leaving Seoul on the same day to march on Asanand expel the Chinese. On the 29th the}- attacked
the enemy in their works and quickly drove themout, little resistance being made. These events pre-
ceded the declaration of wax", which was made by
both countries on August 1, 1894.
The story of the war that followed was one of
unceasing victory for the Japanese, their enemymaking scarcely an efi'ort at resistance, and fleeing
from powerful strongholds on which they had ex-
pended months of hai-d labor with scarcely a blow
in their defence. Such was the case with Port Ar-
thur, which in other hands might have proved a Gib-
raltar to assailing troops. The war continued until
April 17, 1895, when a treaty of peace was signed,
which remarkably changed the relative positions of
the two powers before the world, China having metwith utter and irretrievable defeat. The war yielded
but a single event of novel interest, the famous naval
battle of Hai-yang, which we shall describe more at
lenficth.
THE BATTLE OF THE IRON-CLADS.
In these latter days the world seems overturned.
Events of startling interest are every year taking
place, new discoveries are made, new inventions
produced, new explorations completed, peoples and
tribes formerly not even known by name are be-
coming prominent in dail}' history, and nations
which seemed sunk in a death-like slumber are
awakening and claiming a place among the leading
powers of the worM. And of all these events i)er-
haps the most astounding is that which took place
in September, 189 i, the battle of ironclads in the
Yellow Sea.
About forty years before there had begun amongWestern nations a remarkable revolution in naval war-
fare, the substitution of the iron-clad for the woodenman-of-war. During the interval this evolution of
the iron-clad had gone briskly on, until by 1804 the
nations of Euroi)e and America possessed fleets of
such wonderful powers of resistance that the naval
artillery of the past would have had no more effect
upon them than hailstones upon an iron roof But a
revolution in artillery had also taken place. The old
smooth-bore guns had been replaced b}' great rifled
cannon capable of sending a heavy ball for ten or
twelve miles and of piercing through steel plates of
889
340 HISTORICAL TALES.
moderate thickness as through so much paper. With
these came the quick-fire guns, from whose gaping
mouths cannon-balls could be rained like the drops
of a rapid shower, and the torpedoes, capable of
tearing ruinous holes in the sides and bottoms of
the mightiest ships.
Such was the work that was doing in the West
while the East slept calml}- on. But no occasion
had arisen for putting to the proof these great float-
ing engines of war. Theories in abundance were
offered of the probable eff\3Ct upon one another of
two modern fleets, but the diead of terrible results
had a potent influence, and fear of the destructive
powers of modern ships and armies bad proved the
strongest of arguments in keeping the nations of
the world at peace.
The astounding event spoken of is the fact that
the iron-clad battle-ship of the present day was first
put to proof in the waters of the Yellow Sea, in a
war between two nations which half a century be-
fore were hardly beyond the bow-and-arrow stage
of warfare, and were still novices in the modern ai't
of war. The naval inventions made in Europe and
America had their first trial in a conflict between
China and Japan, and the interest with which mari-
time nations read of the doings of these powerful
engines of war in those far-off waters was intense.
Japan had been alert in availing itself of all the
world knew about war, providing its arm}' with the
best modern weapons and organizing them in the
most effective European method, while purchased
iron-clads replaced its old fleet of junks. China,
THE BATTLE OF THE IRON-CLADS. 341
though doing little for the improvement of its army,
had bought itself a modern fleet, two of its ships, the
Ting-yuon and Chcn-yuen, having fourteen inches
of iron armor, and surpassing in size and strength
anything that Japan had to show. These vessels
were all armed with the most effective of modern
"weapons, were handled by men trained in the theories
of European war, and seemed capable of the most
destructive results.
On the 17th of September, 1894, an epoch-making
battle of these iron-clads took place. It was a re-
markably different event from the first engagement
of this sort, that between the Monitor and the
Merrimac in Hampton Roads, for the guns nowbrought into play would have pierced the armor of
those vessels as if it had been made of tin. The
Japanese squadron had just convoyed a fleet of trans-
ports, bearing ten thousand troops and thirty-five
hundred horses, to Chemulpo, near the Corean capital.
The Chinese squadron had similarly convo^-ed four
thousand troops to the Yalu lliver. These were
landed on the IGth, and on the morning of the 17th
the fleet started on its return. On the same morning
the Japanese fleet reached the island of Ilai yang,
leaving their torpedo-boats behind, as there was no
thought of fighting a battle. About nine o'clock
smoke was seen in the distance, and at eleven-forty
the Chinese fleet came into sight.
The Japanese fleet consisted of ten vessels, the
First Flying Squadron, consisting of four fine cruisere
of high si)eeil, and the Main Squadron, composed of
six vessels of lower speed. There were two smaller
342 HISTORICAL TALES.
ships, of DO value as fighting vessels. The Chinese
fleet was composed of twelve vessels and six tor-
pedo-boats, though two of the vessels and the tor-
pedo-boats were at a distance, so that the effective
fighting force on each side was composed of ten
ships-of-war. The Chinese fleet included the two
great ships already named, the Ting-yuen and Chen-
yuen. The latter, as has been said, were heavily
armored. The other Chinese ships were lightly pro-
tected, and some of tbem not at all, Xone of the
Japanese vessels had external armor, their protection
consisting of steel decks and internal lining down
to the water-line.
On perceiving the enemy's ships, Admiral Ito, of
the Japanese fleet, at once gave orders to his cap-
tains to prepare for action. Ting, the Chinese ad-
miral, did the same, drawing up his fleet in a single
line, wnth the large ships in the centre and the
weaker ones on the wings. Ito, who proposed to
take advantage of the superior speed of his ships
and circle round his adversary, drew up his vessels
in a single column with the Flying Squadron at the
head.
The action began at 1 p.m., the Chinese opening
fire at about six thousand yards, the Japanese re-
serving their fire until at half that distance. Ito
headed his ships straight for the centre of the Chi-
nese line, but on drawing near the}' swerved so as to
pass the Chinese right wing, their speed being at
the same time increased. As the Yoshino, which
led the movement, came up, she became a target for
the whole Chinese fleet, but her speed soon carried
THE BATTLE OF THE IRON-CLADS. 343
her out of danger, the Flying Squadron sweeping
swiftly past the Chinese right wing and pouring a
deadly fire on the unprotected vessels there posted
as they passed. The stream of shells from the rapid-
fire guns tore the wood-work of these vessels into
splintei's and set it on fire, the nearest ship, the
Yang Wei, soon bursting into flames.
The Jajjanese admiral, keeping at a distance from
the large central ves.sels with their heavy guns, and
concentrating his fire on the smaller flanking ships,
continued his evolution, the Main Squadron follow-
ing the Flying Squadron past the Chinese right
wing and pouring its fire on the second ship in the
line, the Chao-yung, which, like its con.sort, was
soon in flames. This movement, however, proved a
disadvantage to the slower vessels of the Japanese
fleet, which could not keep pace with their consorts,
jiaiticularly to the Iliyei, which lagged so far in the
rear as to become exposed to the fire of the whole
Chinese fleet, now rapidl}' forging ahead. In this
dilemma its commander took a bold resolve. Turn-
ing, he ran directly for the line of the enemy, pass-
ing between the Ting-yuen and the King-yuen at five
hundred yards' distance. Two torpedoes which were
launched at him fortunately missed, but he had to
bear the fire of several of his antagonists, and came
through the line with his vessel in flames. The
Akagi, a little Japanese gunboat, hurried to his aid,
though seriously cut u\) by the fire of the Lai-yuen,
which pursued until set on fire and forced to with-
draw by a luck}' shot in return. Meanwhile the Fly-
ing Squadron had wheeled to meet the two distant
344 HISTORICAL TALES.
Chinese ships, which were hastily coming up in com-
pany with the torpedo-boats. On seeing this move-
ment they drew back and kept well out of reach.
Somewhat later these vessels took part in the ac-
tion, though not an important one. At 2.23 p.m. the
Chao-j^ang, which had been riddled by the fire of
the Main Squadron, sank, the cries of the drowning
men sounding above the roar of the cannon as she
went down.
As a result of the Japanese evolution, the two
squadrons finallj^ closed in on the Chinese fleet on
both sides and the battle reached its most furious
phase. The two flag-ships, the Japanese Matsushima
and the Chinese Ting-yuen, poured the fire of their
great guns upon each other with terrible effect, the
wood-work of the Chinese iron-clad being soon in
flames, while a shell that burst on the Matsushima ex-
ploded a heap of ammunition and killed or wounded
eighty men. Fire broke out, but it was soon ex-
tinguished. Almost all the Japanese gunners were
killed, but volunteers pressed forward to take their
place, among them even the band-plaj'ers.
On the Chinese flag-ship the flames drove the gun-
ners from their pieces, and she would probably have
been destroyed had not the Chen-yuen come bravely
to her aid. The fire was finally extinguished by the
aid of some foreigners who were on boai*d. It raaj''
be said here that the fire-drill of the Japanese wasfar superior to that of their foes.
The Japanese continued their circling movementaround their slower antagonists, pouring a concen-
trated fire upon the weaker vessels, of which the
THE BATTLE OF THE IR0N-CLAD8. 345
Chih-yuen was sunk at about 3.30 p.m. and the Kin^-
yuen at 4.48. By this time the Chinese fleet was in
the greatest disorder, its line broken, some of its ves-
sels in full flight, and all coherence gone. The fire
of the Japanese fleet was now principally directed
against the two large iron-clads, but the fourtcen-
inch armor of these resisted the heaviest guns in the
Japanese fleet, and, though their upper works were
riddled and burnt, they were able to continue the
battle.
In the fight here described the Japanese had
shown a discipline and a skill in naval tactics far su-
perior to those of their foes. They had kept at a
distance of about four thousand yards from their
antagonists, so as to avoid their heavy fire and makethe most advantageous use of their larger number
of rapid-fire guns and also of their much better
marksmansiiip. The result of the battle was not due
to greater courage, but to superior skill and more
eff'ective armament.
At niglitfall, as the torpedo boats had now joined
the Chinese fleet, the Japanese drew off", not caring
to risk the perils of a battle at night with such an-
tagonists, both sides being also exhausted b}' the long
fiffht. The next mornin<; the Chinese fleet had dis-
appeared. It had lost four vessels in the fight, and
a fifth afterwards ran ashore and was blown up.
Two of the Japanese ships were badly damaged, but
none were lost, while the total loss in killed and
wounded was two hundred and eighteen, nearly half
of them on the flag-ship. The Chinese lost far more
heavily, from the sinking of a number of their ships.
346 HISTORICAL TALES.
Thus ended the typical battle of modern naval
warfare, one whose result was mainly due to the
greater speed and rapid evolutions of the Japanese
ships and the skill with which they concentrated a
crushing fire on the weak points of the enemy's
line. The work of the quick-firing guns was the
most striking feature of the battle, while the absence
of torpedo-boats prevented that essential element of
a modern fleet from being brought into play. Animportant lesson learned was that too much wood-
woi'k in an iron -clad vessel is a dangerous feature,
and naval architects have since done their best to
avoid this weak point in the construction of ships-
of-war. But the most remarkable characteristic of
the affair is that the battle was fought by two nations
which, had the war broken out forty years before,
would liave done their naval fighting with fleets of
junks.
It may be said in conclusion that the Chinese fleet
was annihilated in the later attack on the port of
Wei-hai-wei, many of the vessels being destroyed
by torpedo-boats, and the remainder, unable to es-
cape from the harbor, being forced to surrender to
the Japanese. Thus ended in utter disaster to China
the naval war.
PROGRESS IN JAPAN ANDCHINA.
We have in the preccdinf; tales brought downfrom a remote period the history of the two oldest
nations now existing on the face of the earth. There
are peoples us old, but none others which have kept
intact their national organization and form of gov-
ernment for thousands of years. Invasion, conquest,
rebellion, revolution, have kept the rest of the world
in a busy stir and caused frequent changes in nations
and governments. But Japan and China lay aside
from the broad current of invasion, removed from
the general seat of war, and no internal convulsion
or local invasion had been strong enough to change
their political systems or modes of life. And thus
these two isolated empires of the East drifted downintact through the ages to the middle of the nine-
teenth century, when their millennial sleep was rudely
broken and their policy of isolation overthrown.
This was due, as has been shown, to the coming
of the navies of P]urope and America, bent on
breaking down the barriers that had been raised
against the civilization of the West and forcing these
remote empires to enter the concert of the nations
and open their ports to the commerce of the world.
Concerning all this we have no tales to tell, but a
brief account of ihc effect of foreign intercourse upon347
348 HISTORICAL TALES.
Cliina and Japan will fitly serve to close our workand outline the recent history of these two great
powers of the East.
Thci'c are marked differences of character between
the Chinese and the Japanese, and these diiferences
have had a striking effect upon their recent history.
In the Japanese we find a warlike and aggressive peo-
ple, a stirring and inquisitive race, not, like their neigh-
bors on the continent, lost in contemplation of their
ancient literature and disdainful of any civilization
but their own, but ready and eager to avail themselves
of all that the world has to offer worth the having.
In the Chinese we find a non-aggressive people, bynature and custom disinclined to war, asking only,
so far as outer nations ai-e concerned, to be let alone,
and in no sense inquisitive concerning the doings of
the world at large. Of their civilization, wdiich goes
back beyond the i-eputed date of the Deluge, they
are intensely proud, their ancient literature, in their
conception, is far superior to the literatures of all
other nations, and their self-satisfaction is so in-
grained that they still stand aloof in mental isola-
tion from the world, only the most progressive amongthem seeing anything to be gained from foreign arts.
These differences in character have given rise to a
remarkable difference in results. The Japanese have
been alert in availing themselves of all things new,
the Chinese torpid and slow, sluggishly resisting
change, hardly yielding even to the logic of war.
There is nothing in the history of the world to
match the phenomenal progress of Japan since the
visit of Commodore Perry in 1853. If it had been
PROGRESS IN JAPAN AND CHINA. 349
the people of the United States, instead of those of
that aix'hipehigo of the Eastern seas, that in this wayfirst gained a knowledge of the progress of the outer
world, they could not have been readier in changing
their old institutions and ideas and accepting u newand strange civilization offered them from afar than
have been the alert islanders of the East.
When the American fleet entered the Bay of Yedoit found itself in the heart of a civilization and in-
stitutions a thousand years and more of age. Theshogun, the military chief, was the actual ruler of
Japan, as he had been for many centuries before,
the mikado, the titular ruler, being still buried in
that isolation into which he had long since with-
drawn. It was only a dim tradition with the people
that the mikado had ever been emperor in fact, and
thej'' looked on him as a religious potentate to be
worshipped, not as a ruler to be obeyed. The feudal
system, established in the past centuries, was still
intact, the provincial lords and princes being held
in strict vassalage by the shogun, or tai-kun (great
king), as he then first termed himself In truth,
Japan was still in its mediaeval state, from which it
showed scarcely a sign of emerging.
The coming of the foreigners made a sudden and
decided change in the situation. Within less than
twenty years the whole condition of affairs had been
overturned; the shogun had been deposed from his
high estate, the mikado had come to his own again,
the feudal system had been abolished, and the people
beheld with surprise and delight their spiritual em-
peror at the head of the state, absolute lord of their
350 HISTORICAI. TALES.
secular world, while the military tyranny under
which thc}^ so long had groaned was irremediably
annulled.
Such was the first great step in the political revo-
lution of Japan. It was followed by another and
still greater one, an act without a parallel in the his-
tory of autocratic governments. This was the vol-
untary relinquishment of absolutism by the emperor,
the calling together of a parliament, and the adoption
of a representative government on the types of those
of the West. In all history we can recall no similar
event. All preceding parliaments came into exist-
ence through revolution or gradual growth, in no
other instance through the voluntary abdication of
autocratic power and the adoption of parliamentary
rule by an emperor moved alone by a desire for the
good of his people and the reform of the system of
government.
Japan had learned the lesson of civilization swiftly
and well, her ablest sons devoting themselves to the
task of bringing their country to the level of the
foremost nations of the earlh. Young men in num-bers were sent abroad to observe the ways of the
civilized world, to become familiar with its industries,
and to study in its universities, and these on their
return were placed at the head of affairs, industrial,
educational, and political. No branch of modern art
and science was neglected, the best to be had from
every nation being intelligently studied by the in-
quisitive raid quick-witted island 3-outh.
The war with China first revealed to the world the
marvellous progress of Japan in the military art.
PROGRESS IN JAPAN AND CHINA. 351
Ilor armies were armed and disciplined in accord-
ance with the best system of the West, and her
Avarlike operations conducted on the most approved
methods, though only native oflScers were employed.
The rapidity with which troops, amounting to eighty
thousand in all, and the necessary supplies were car-
ried across the sea, and the skilful evolution, under
native officers, of a fleet of vessels of a type not
dreamed of in Japan thirt}' years before, was a newrevelation to the observing world. And in another
direction it was made evident that Japan had learned
a valuable lesson from the nations of Christendom,
Instead of the massacres of their earlier wars, they
now displayed the most humanitarian moderation.
There was no ill treatment of the peaceful inhabi-
tants, while ambulances and field hospitals were put
at the disposal of the wounded of both sides, with a
humane kindness greatly to be commended.
It is not only in politics and war that Japan has
progressed. In all other directions activity, intel-
ligence, and development have been shown. In the
art of manufacture there has been a steady advance,
and the island workshops are now coming into active
competition with those of Europe and America and
threatening a dangerous commercial rivalry. Steam-
ship lines, under Japanese control, connect with all
the leading ports of Asia, and trade is in a Hoiirish-
ing state. The telegraph and telephone have been
introduced and are widely extended, while railroads
connect all the principal cities. The newspaper is
an established institution in Japan, libraries and col-
leges are flourishing, a new literature, based on that
352 HISTORICAL TALES.
of the West, is in process of evolution, and science
is maUing important progress. In short, Japan has
adopted all the leading institutions of the West, and
is modifying its native manners and customs with
remarkable rapidity.
In this recent evolution of life in Japan we have
one of the most extraordinary events in the history
of the woi'ld, it having in about fort}^ years emerged
from the position of a nation almost unknown and
quite unthought of as a power into that of one of
the great powers of the world.
While little Japan has been thus forging swiftly
ahead, great China has been stolidly holding back.
It is not that the Chinese lack intelligence or the
disposition to avail themselves of material advan-
tages, but that their pride in their own civilization
and belief in the barbarism of the outer world are
so deeply ingrained as to make them hard to con-
vince. Such progressive men as Li Hung Changhave had their influence. A navy of modern ships
was bought abroad, and did the best service shownin the war, fighting with courage and resolution,
while the army, organized on mediaeval principles,
went to pieces before the skill and intrepidity of the
Japanese.
In other directions China has made little progress.
The telegraph, it is true, is widel}' in use, but the
effort to introduce the railroad has proved, so far,
largel}- a failure, only some short lines being laid
down. In this direction, however, the war has some-
what aroused the government, and there are signs of
a more rapid future extension of the iron road. But
PROGRESS IN JAPAN AND CHINA. 353
in other respects there is little to indicate that China
has learned much from the shoit, sharp lesson of
war, and even the threat to dismember it and divide
it up among the powers of Europe seems hardly to
have made a stir in the heart of the torpid leviathan
of the East.
Meanwhile the powers of Europe are settling like
stinging hornets on its coast, Great Britain, Eiissia,
Germany, and France each claiming a foothold on
its shores, while Japan still holds the port of Wei-
hai-wei, awaiting the payment of the war indemnity.
What will be the result it is impossible to foresee.
China is not a consolidated empire. The emperor
rather reigns than rules. It is made up of separate
parts, each largely under provincial rule, and scarcely
more united than when each was governed b}* its
own feudal prince. Different languages are spoken
in different sections, there are various strands of
population in the separate provinces, and hostile
rather than friendly relations exist between north
and south, east and west. The empire is one that
might fall asunder at a blow, if struck strongl}' and
deeply, and the jiowers which are now steadily deep-
ening and widening their influence within the Celes
tial Empire may yet decide to strike that blow, and
divide up China between them as they have already
divided Indo-China and the continent of Africa.
These are days of rapid jtolitical evoluiioii, and the
development of colonial empire is one of the most
prominent phases of recent histoiy.
23
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